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Free online presentation maker

Try our new tool to edit this selection of templates for people that want to let their creativity run free. create interactive resources easily, quickly and without the need for any software. a really useful tool for teachers and students. move the content, add images, change colors and fonts or, if you prefer, start from scratch..

• Calendar & Weather
• Infographics
• Marketing Plan
• Project Proposal
• Social Media
• Thesis Defense
• Black & White
• Craft & Notebook
• Floral & Plants
• Illustration
• Interactive & Animated
• Professional
• Instagram Post
• Instagram Stories

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Minimal charm.

Are you looking for a monochromatic theme that is interesting at the same time? How about using a simple and clean theme, along with black-and-white pictures, to convey business or corporate content in a professional way?

Creative Portfolio

Let others know about your potential with this creative portfolio! We have just created a great template to help you share your work with recruiters. Give it a go now!

Investment Business Plan

Rewards come after a great investment, and this applies especially to companies. You’ll need to attract potential investors and other people to put their trust in your project. With this free presentation template, you can explain your business plan, your market research and everything you need to strike a new...

Web Project Proposal

We live in the internet era, which means that web design is currently one of the most demanded skills. This free template is perfect for those designers who want to present their web project proposal to their clients and see a preview of the final work.

Engineering Project Proposal

What is the best way to build your own successful future? Giving a presentation made thanks to our new free business template! Your audience will appreciate your engineering project proposal, paving the way for new deals and investments.

Sketchnotes Lesson

There’s an increasing trend in education regarding visual techniques to help students learn concepts, and it’s called sketchnotes. This free presentation template focuses on this design, so you can turn a lesson into an easy teaching experience.

Pregnancy Breakthrough

Giving birth to a baby is a beautiful occasion, a manifestation of love between two people. Obstetrics are key during pregnancy, so how about giving a presentation about the latest breakthrough in this field? Our free medical template will come in handy.

Christmas Recipe

Do you have a sweet tooth? We bet you love Christmas—the snow, the presents, the happy times… and the food! We can help you deliver an awesome presentation with this free template designed for cooking recipes!

Anatomy & Physiology Lesson for Middle School

Download the Anatomy & Physiology Lesson for Middle School presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. If you’re looking for a way to motivate and engage students who are undergoing significant physical, social, and emotional development, then you can’t go wrong with an educational template designed for Middle School by Slidesgo!...

Magical Wizard World Minitheme

I solemnly swear I’m up to no boring presentations! Use this Slidesgo template that looks like a magical map to give a magical speech and surprise your audience. You don’t need be a wizard to be able to edit the resources on these slides, you only need to open Google...

Science Fair Newsletter

Creativity and innovation are also words closely tied to science, since people are always looking for new inventions and applications. Are you organizing a science fair and want to keep people up to date? How convenient—here’s our latest free template focused on this topic!

Notebook Lesson

These are the last days before the Summer break! We know that there are some pending lessons that you need to prepare for your students. As they may be thinking about their friends and their holidays, catch their attention with this cool template!

Welcome Slides

Download the Welcome Slides presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources. You...

Science Education Center

Albert Einstein believed that “the important thing is to never stop questioning.” When it comes to science and research, we need to investigate and to ask for answers. Teach your students about the value of questioning in your Science Education Center!

Minimalist Marketing Plan

Defining a good marketing strategy is not enough to get new clients and investors. You need to present your data and next steps with an elegant presentation in order to create a great impact! Use our minimalist template now!

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Download the Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using...

New and interesting technologies are being used for teaching. This means that you don’t need to be at school or at the university to take courses. If you need to prepare a webinar or you must give a presentation to talk about e-learning and these kind of advances in education,...

Food is quite important in our lives, don’t you think so? If you are a chef, we have designed the perfect template for your curriculum. Have a look at it now!

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Make interactive presentations

Create show-stopping presentations and clickable slide decks with Genially’s free online presentation builder. Leave boring behind and tell a story that’s interactive, animated, and beautifully engaging.

INTERACTIVE CONTENT

A presentation that works like a website

Engage your audience with interactive slides that they can click on and explore. Add music, video, hotspots, popup windows, quiz games and interactive data visualizations in a couple of clicks. No coding required!

NO-CODE ANIMATION

Make your slides pop with animation

Bring a touch of movie magic to the screen with incredible visual effects and animated page transitions. Add click-trigger and timed animations to make any topic easy to understand and captivating to watch.

INTEGRATIONS

Live from the world wide web

Embed online content directly in your slides for a media-rich interactive experience. From YouTube and Spotify to Google Maps and Sheets, Genially works seamlessly with over 100 popular apps and websites.

TEMPLATES & TOOLKIT

Genius design tools

With Genially, anyone can create a polished and professional presentation. Choose from over 2000 pre-built templates, or create your own design using the drag-and-drop resources, color palettes, icons, maps and vector graphics.

ONLINE PLATFORM

Safe and sound in the cloud

Because Genially is online, you can relax knowing that your slides are always up-to-date. There’s no risk of forgetting to save changes or accessing the wrong file. Log in from anywhere, collaborate with your team, and make edits in real time.

All-in-one interactive presentation maker

Real-time collaboration

Co-edit slide decks with others in real time and organize all of your team projects in shared spaces.

Multi format

Present live, share the link, or download as an interactive PDF, MP4 video, JPG, HTML, or SCORM package.

Engagement Analytics

See how many people have viewed and clicked on your slides and keep tabs on learner progress with User Tracking.

Import from PPTX

Give your old decks a new lease of life by importing PowerPoint slides and transforming them with a little Genially magic.

Keep content on-brand with your logo, fonts, colors, brand assets, and team templates at your fingertips.

Quiz & Survey Builder

Use the Interactive Questions feature to add a fun quiz to your slides or gather feedback from your audience.

Beautiful templates

Make your next deck in a flash with Genially’s ready-to-use slides.

Okr shapes presentation

School notebook presentation

Animated sketch presentation

Minimal presentation

Land of magic presentation

Onboarding presentation

Visual presentation

Animated chalkboard presentation

Online Education Guide

Terrazzo presentation

Startup pitch

Historical presentation

THEMES FOR EVERYONE

Interactive presentation ideas

From classroom materials to business pitches, make an impact every day with Genially.

Education presentations

Pitch decks

Business presentations

Thesis defense

Why the world loves Genially presentations

Share anywhere

Present live

From the front of the room or behind a screen, you’ll wow your audience with Genially. Heading off grid? Download in HTML to present dynamic slides without WiFi.

Share the link

Every Genially slide deck has its own unique url, just like a website! Share the link so that others can explore at their own pace, or download an MP4 video slideshow or PDF.

Post online

Embed the slides on your website or post them on social media. Upload to Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Moodle or any other platform.

The benefits of interactive slides

🗣️ Active participation An interactive slide deck gives your audience cool things to click on and discover, boosting learning and engagement.

👂 Multi-sensory experience Audio, video, animations, and mouse interactions make your content immersive, entertaining and accessible.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 People-friendly format Pop-ups and embeds condense more material into fewer slides so you can break information down into digestible chunks.


🎮 Gamification Games, quizzes and puzzles make information more memorable and enable you to gather feedback and check understanding.

How to make an interactive presentation

With Genially’s easy-to-use presentation platform, anyone can make incredible visual content in moments.

Choose a template or a blank canvas

Get stunning results in less time with a ready-made template. Feeling creative? Design your own slides from scratch.

Customize the design

Add animations and interactions

Resources to become a pro presentation creator

VIDEO TUTORIAL

How to create an interactive presentation: Get started in Genially.

EXPERT TIPS

How to present data without sending your audience to sleep.

MICRO COURSE

No-code animation: Bring your slides to life with cinematic visual effects.

PRESENTATION IDEAS

The art of digital storytelling: Engage and thrill on screen.

Genially in a nutshell

How do I make a presentation interactive and how does Genially work? Find the answers to all of your slide-related questions here!

What’s an interactive presentation?

Interactive slides contain clickable hotspots, links, buttons, and animations that are activated at the touch of a button. Instead of reading or watching passively, your audience can actively interact with the content.  

Genially’s interaction presentation software allows you to combine text, photos, video clips, audio and other content in one deck. It’s a great way to condense more information into fewer slides. 

If you’re a teacher, you can share multiple materials in one single learning resource. Students can create their own projects using digital media and online maps. For business or training, try embedding spreadsheet data, PDFs, and online content directly in your slides. 

An interactive slide deck is more user-friendly than a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation or Google Slides document. That’s because you can break information down into chunks with pop-ups, labels, voiceovers and annotated infographics.  

The other benefit of interactive content is increased engagement. It’s easier to keep your audience’s attention when they’re actively participating. Try Genially’s presentation software and free slideshow maker to see how it’s better than other presentation websites. You won’t go back to standard presentation apps!

How do you make a clickable slide?

The best way to make slides clickable is to use Genially’s free interactive presentation program. Design your slide then apply an interaction. In a couple of clicks, you can add popup windows, hyperlinks, close-up images, games, animations, multimedia and other content. 

Choose from the library of hotspot buttons and icons to show people what to click on. Go to Presenter View to get a preview and see how your content will appear to your audience.

How do I create presentations that look professional?

You’ve got a deadline looming and you’re staring at the screen with a blank presentation. We’ve all been there! Starting a presentation design from scratch is tricky, especially if you’re short on time. 

Genially’s free online presentation maker has over 2000 ready-to-use templates for professional slide presentations, photos slideshows, and more. Each slide design has been created by our team of top graphic designers. No need to worry about fonts, centering images, or designing a matching color scheme. It’s all done for you. 

Start by browsing our layouts and themes for education, business and then customize with your own text and images.

How do I share or download my slides?

Because Genially is a cloud based presentation software, you can simply share the link to your slides. Like other online presentation tools, there are no files to download or store on your computer. Everything is saved online.  

When you publish your slide deck, it gets its own unique url, just like a website. Share the link with others to let them explore the content in their own time. If you’re presenting live, just click the Present button. 

You can also embed your presentation on your website, company wiki, or social media. Genially is compatible with WordPress, Moodle, Google Classroom, and other platforms. If you use an LMS, you can also download your interactive design slides in SCORM format.

For slideshow videos and slideshows with music, share online or download as an MP4 video. Check out our free slideshow templates for ideas.

Can I make a free presentation in Genially?

You bet! Genially is an easy-to-use slide maker, with a free version and paid plans. The free plan allows you to create unlimited slides with interactions and animations. Subscribe to one of our paid plans for more advanced features.

Discover a world of interactive content

Join the 25 million people designing incredible interactive experiences with Genially.

• AI Video Generator
• Text to Video AI
• AI Animation Generator
• AI Logo Maker
• AI Website Builder
• AI Business Name Generator
• YouTube Name Generator
• Video Editing
• Website tips
• Onboarding Videos
• Contact Support
• Knowledge Center
• Video Tutorials

My Projects

• My favorites
• My colors & fonts
• Subscriptions

Design powerful slides with an online presentation maker

Take your audience on a spellbinding journey with an effective presentation. Use the customizable slides of Renderforest’s presentation maker to bring your creative vision to life.

Trusted by 25M+ users and 100k+ high-end companies

Presentation templates for every purpose

Explore our presentation slides and design elements to find the perfect solution for your next project.

Online Marketing Course Slides

Architectural Studio Presentation

Business Presentation Variety Kit

Medical Center Slides

Lesson Plan Slide Deck

Start-up Pitch Deck

Marketing Variety Slides

Cooking Workshop Slide Deck

Real Estate Presentation Slides

Pitch Deck Corporate Presentation

Natural Science Class Slides

Solar System Educational Slides

How to make presentations with renderforest, select a presentation template.

Go through the catalog of presentation templates or search by keywords to find a template that meets your creative needs. The templates are available in 16:9 aspect ratio.

Choose and add slides

All templates have a list of pre-designed slides you can include in your presentation. Each presentation can go up to 50 slides. Add or delete the slides as you go to get a design that fits your needs.

Edit and personalize the slides

You don’t need to be a designer to make an exceptional presentation. Use the powerful editing tools of our presentation maker to personalize your slides in a few clicks. Add or edit images, experiment with the design elements and typography, and more.

Download, share, and present

Once your presentation is final, it’s time to share it with flair. Download your creation as a JPG or PDF file, or present it right in the browser using the presenter mode

Why Renderforest presentation maker

Stunning presentation templates

Whether you are presenting a business review or introducing a new fashion brand, we have the right template for you.

Simple editing tools

Created with non-designers in mind, our flexible editing tools allow even first-time users to create engaging slides in no time.

Thousands of stock photos

Use our unlimited library of high-quality stock visuals to complement your presentation.

Create engaging presentations for any project with hundreds of beautiful layouts that make the editing process amazingly easy!

People also ask, what presentation templates does renderforest presentation maker have.

There’s a large selection of presentation templates on various topics and new ones are added regularly. No matter your project, we have a template that will meet your needs.

Can I use my own visuals in the presentation?

Yes, you can add your own images. Upload images from your device or choose from the media library. You can then use the built-in photo editing tools of our presentation maker to adjust or crop the images to fit them to the frame.

Can I make free presentations with Renderforest?

Yes, you can create for free. A set of free presentation templates are available in our presentation maker. However, some functionalities, such as link sharing, are not available for free users. To get access to the full list of templates and editing tools, you can upgrade your plan or go with the pay-per-export option.

Related templates with Renderforest

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A presentation maker for every team

Give better presentations and visually communicate your ideas, projects, and everything you need. Miro’s online presentation maker helps you to gain the confidence to keep the momentum going.

Over 70M+ users love Miro.

Be presentation-ready in seconds

Make presentations in just a few clicks with Miro’s presentation creator. Choose one of the ready-made templates and edit it to suit your needs; no design experience is needed. We’ve got your back with a great selection of templates.

Layouts that fit your needs

We help you to get started, but you’re welcome to fully customize your presentation. Add your brand colors, fonts, and styles, create graphs, and move frames around to fit your storytelling. Don’t be afraid to explore the many editing tools on the left toolbar and get creative with the presentation maker.

No more boring presentations

Present content and pre-planned activities to facilitate powerful meetings and workshops. Presentations are boring. On Miro, they’re not.

Why Miro is the best presentation maker

Master storytelling.

Miro’s presentation creator has an intuitive UI, making communicating your ideas easier without worrying about tech complications. Use the Presentation mode, and focus your energy on what matters: your content.

Co-creation made simple

Invite others to collaborate with you whenever, wherever. Miro’s robust capabilities allow you to have guests on your board or build a shared team space where everyone comes together to collaborate.

Create dynamic presentations

Use the drag-and-drop feature and effortlessly add images, text, and videos to your presentation frames. Miro’s visual workspace allows you to quickly create professional-looking presentations with just a few clicks.

Easily share your presentation

Engage your stakeholders and get buy-in by creating eye-catching and on-brand presentations. Use Brand Center and presentation templates to improve your bargaining power, influencing decision-making.

Related templates

Presentation Template

Deliver impressive presentations that resonate with your audience.

Logo Presentation Template

Present your design ideas with confidence and make your clients fall in love with their new logo.

Rebranding Presentation

Provide clarity around the reinvention of your brand and your rebranding strategies.

Company Vision Presentation Template

Summarize your company’s goals and describe your path to achieving them using professional-looking slides.

Sales Presentation Template

Shed pre-sales pitch nerves and deliver the speech of a lifetime with the Sales Presentation Template.

Pitch Deck Template

Make people care about your idea and gain supporters everywhere.

Present ideas from anywhere

Miro’s visual workspace helps teams to communicate and collaborate across formats, tools, and channels — without the constraints of physical location and meeting space.

Brand management

Make sure your brand looks consistent across all work. With easy access to approved fonts, colors, styles, and templates, anyone can create polished and on-brand boards in just a few minutes.

Meetings and workshops

Creative energy that you can feel, presentations that just flow, and teams that connect and collaborate like humans — bring the in-person experience online with Miro, whether you’re running a brainstorm or facilitating a workshop.

Client work solutions

Miro gives consultants, agencies, freelancers — and their clients — one living, dynamic space to go from project brief to big business breakthrough. Always collaborative, no matter how, where, or when you work.

Hybrid work

How we work has changed. Your tools should too. Experience seamless collaboration, no matter when or where you work, in Miro. Give teams a dynamic and visual way to collaborate, connect, and create.

Project management

Manage complex projects — and their stakeholders — with confidence. Create process alignment and shared understanding between cross-functional teams with a collaborative visual workspace.

Dashboarding & Performance Tracking

Create a shared space for custom dashboards and performance monitoring, pattern identification, and decision-making.

Strategy development

Propel your plans from strategy through execution. Run engaging kickoff sessions, build visual presentations, manage and track progress collaboratively, all in one online planning tool.

Organizational design

Your employees are your greatest asset. Map out your organization to see the big picture and design for the future.

How to make a presentation

Select a ready-made template

Miro has a wide range of presentation templates you can choose from. Or start building from scratch, adding content to your board. Miro’s presentation maker has many features to help you get started.

Structure your presentation

Edit your content, apply your brand fonts and colors, and resize frames if needed.

Share ideas with one click

To present, select Presentation mode on the upper right toolbar. Invite others to join your presentation, and good luck!

Presentation maker FAQs

Where can i make free presentations.

Search for tools that give you free access. Sign up for free for Miro’s visual workspace, and see if it fits your needs.

Which is the best presentation maker?

There are many options out there; choose the one that gives you flexibility and suits your needs. Miro’s presentation maker allows you to create presentations quickly, saving time and effort when designing and crafting your storytelling. Try it for yourself, and see if it works for you.

How to make a good presentation slide?

Miro’s presentation maker allows you to use your board's frames as slides, working exactly as any regular presentation. When creating a presentation with Miro, you have the option to use the Presentation mode, which helps you manage your time and audience on the board, enabling you to facilitate and present at the same time.

10 Miro templates for powerful presentations

How do you design a good presentation?

What you need to know about human perception to be great at presentations

ALTERNATIVE

Klaxoon competitors & alternatives

ALTERNATIVES

Top 5 Venngage Alternatives To Switch To In 2024

Get on board in seconds

Join thousands of teams using Miro to do their best work yet.

👀 Turn any prompt into captivating visuals in seconds with our AI-powered design generator ✨ Try Piktochart AI!

Online Presentation Maker to Create Engaging Presentations

Easily create a professionally-looking business presentation, keynote, sales pitch, product update, and onboarding or webinar deck with free presentation templates.

Professionals worldwide create presentations with Piktochart

Ease of use

Easily Create Stunning Presentations

Piktochart’s online presentation maker is so simple that you can immediately use it without training. All you need is an internet connection. Start with a free pre-made template designed by experts. From there, you can quickly create professional presentations that will help you engage with your audience and drive the results you are looking for. Moreover, collaboration features are included for all accounts, even the Free plan, to work with your team in real-time.

Presentation slides at your fingertips

Present Online or Download in .ppt

Presenting your slide deck during a video call or a virtual conference is easy. Switch to presentation mode within Piktochart, and you can present directly in just a few clicks. You can also download your new presentation in a .ppt or .pdf format and share it on social media or offline with your stakeholders. It’s up to you how you want to use your own presentation.

Fully Customize Slides for a Branded Presentation

Create professional presentations and pitch decks in minutes that match your brand’s guidelines. Simply drag company logos or a screenshot of your website to extract the brand colors. Then, upload your fonts and create a custom color palette to use when creating your own presentation. With Piktochart, it’s easy to work on an engaging presentation fast, with no need to search for illustrations or icons. Piktochart’s integrated library of high-quality graphics, designs components, and presentation templates means presentation design is easier than ever. Just drag and drop the design elements into the editor, add images, choose your color scheme, and create a presentation. Or upload your own photos and add them to the asset library. Making beautiful presentations has never been so easy for non-designers.

Storytelling and presentation design

Translate Complex Data Into a Visual Story

With Piktochart’s charts and maps tool, you can quickly visualize information and translate data into a visual story that will grasp the attention of your audience. In our free presentation maker, link up an Excel or Google Sheets file to create graphs that automatically update when your data does. Add interactive maps to highlight your main points. Just choose from the pre made templates to save time and make all the changes you want.

People like you use Piktochart’s presentation software to:

• Increase brand awareness
• Drive traffic and leads with content created with the help of presentation templates
• Present insights from market research to stakeholders

SMEs and Enterprises

• Report on progress, create pitch decks
• Introduce a new project with slides made on our online presentation maker
• Explain a process through an engaging presentation

NGOs and Government Organizations

• Inform the public and present important topics
• Report to stakeholders with professional presentations prepared with an online presentation software

Business Owners and Consultants

• Create the perfect pitch deck
• Present to clients or the team
• Report on business performance through access to multiple features and professionally designed templates

How to Create a Presentation

1. select a presentation template.

Edit one of the free presentation templates by Piktochart and add your text, change the fonts, drag-and-drop elements or free images, and create an engaging presentation. For more information, learn how to structure a presentation in this article.

2. Make it yours

Add in your company logo and your own images or pick from a wide range of design elements. The possibilities are endless with our free online presentation maker. Nail your brand presentation by editing fully customizable slides with Piktochart.

3. Present or download

Either use our built-in presentation mode or download your slides in the .ppt format from Microsoft PowerPoint. Or simply share the link with your team.

Get ahead with our premade templates

Types of Presentations

Pitch deck creator.

Get funding for your startup by creating a compelling pitch deck in minutes. With Piktochart’s presentation maker, it’s easy to make a custom presentation with drag-and-drop icons, versatile illustrations, and stock photos. You can use your own images simply by dragging and dropping them, as well as change the font.

Business Presentation

Create professional presentations in a web browser that look like they were made by a graphic designer. Choose from hundreds of free templates and customize them to complete your own business presentation. Here are 25 report presentations to get inspired by.

Sales Presentation

Working in sales? Save time in creating assets by using Piktochart’s presentation free online presentation maker. Select a pre-made template, edit de slides, change the design, and use your slides to win customers. Ask your team for feedback with the collaboration features, which allow you to share and comment.

Educational Presentation

Educators use Piktochart to create interesting presentations that get the attention of their students. And students make beautiful presentations to stand out in class and prepare team projects. Add your content and customize the slides in no time.

Ready to create an engaging presentation?

Join more than 11 million people who already use Piktochart to make the perfect presentation.

Where can I make a presentation?

How can i make a presentation online for free, how do you make a presentation interesting, how do i make an online presentation, can i add animations and special effects to my presentations, do presentation makers support all image and video file formats, can i use a presentation maker on my mobile device, can i design a presentation without designer skills, how to know which presentation template to choose, presentation resources.

25 Powerful Report Presentations and How to Make Your Own

75 Unique School Presentation Ideas and Topics Plus Templates

10 Expert Tips to Create and Deliver a Killer Keynote Presentation

Internal Comms

15 Tips for Engaging Zoom Presentations + Examples

What else can you create with piktochart.

• Presentations

Make better presentations

Create exceptional slide decks in half the time using intuitive design tools and machine learning. present remotely or on-site..

Leverage the power of machine learning to improve your writing and generate content.

Looking for inspiration? Try our slide generator.

Meet your new favorite editor.

Slides is a suite of modern presentation tools, available right from your browser. Unlike traditional presentation software, there's no need to download anything. Working with collaborators to make an awe-inspiring presentation has never been easier.

Present like never before

In a meeting, conference call or on stage? With Live Present Mode, you control what your viewers see. You can even use your phone as a remote control with direct access to your speaker notes.

Work better, together

Slides for Teams makes your whole team work better. It's a secure, shared place for everything your team needs to do their best work, and includes:

• A customizable editor with your company's assets
• Media library with reusable images and videos
• Team-wide collaboration and feedback
• A theme editor that ensures everyone stays on brand

The best tool for developers

Slides is the only presentation tool with a fully open source format. Your presentations are HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Unlock advanced features, such as:

• Access to your presentation's full source code
• Rich customization options using CSS
• Export a copy and present offline or store on your own web host

Join over 2 million creators

Slides is used daily by professionals all over the world to speak at conferences, share pitches, school work, portfolios and so much more. Join today and try it out for free.

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Blog Beginner Guides How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 20, 2023

A top-notch presentation possesses the power to drive action. From winning stakeholders over and conveying a powerful message to securing funding — your secret weapon lies within the realm of creating an effective presentation .  

Being an excellent presenter isn’t confined to the boardroom. Whether you’re delivering a presentation at work, pursuing an academic career, involved in a non-profit organization or even a student, nailing the presentation game is a game-changer.

In this article, I’ll cover the top qualities of compelling presentations and walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to give a good presentation. Here’s a little tip to kick things off: for a headstart, check out Venngage’s collection of free presentation templates . They are fully customizable, and the best part is you don’t need professional design skills to make them shine!

These valuable presentation tips cater to individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, encompassing business professionals, sales and marketing teams, educators, trainers, students, researchers, non-profit organizations, public speakers and presenters. 

No matter your field or role, these tips for presenting will equip you with the skills to deliver effective presentations that leave a lasting impression on any audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

Step-by-step guide on how to prepare an effective presentation, 9 effective techniques to deliver a memorable presentation, faqs on making a good presentation, how to create a presentation with venngage in 5 steps.

When it comes to giving an engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression, it’s not just about the content — it’s also about how you deliver it. Wondering what makes a good presentation? Well, the best presentations I’ve seen consistently exhibit these 10 qualities:

1. Clear structure

No one likes to get lost in a maze of information. Organize your thoughts into a logical flow, complete with an introduction, main points and a solid conclusion. A structured presentation helps your audience follow along effortlessly, leaving them with a sense of satisfaction at the end.

Regardless of your presentation style , a quality presentation starts with a clear roadmap. Browse through Venngage’s template library and select a presentation template that aligns with your content and presentation goals. Here’s a good presentation example template with a logical layout that includes sections for the introduction, main points, supporting information and a conclusion: 

2. Engaging opening

Hook your audience right from the start with an attention-grabbing statement, a fascinating question or maybe even a captivating anecdote. Set the stage for a killer presentation!

The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – check out these 15 ways to start a presentation to set the stage and captivate your audience.

3. Relevant content

Make sure your content aligns with their interests and needs. Your audience is there for a reason, and that’s to get valuable insights. Avoid fluff and get straight to the point, your audience will be genuinely excited.

4. Effective visual aids

Picture this: a slide with walls of text and tiny charts, yawn! Visual aids should be just that—aiding your presentation. Opt for clear and visually appealing slides, engaging images and informative charts that add value and help reinforce your message.

With Venngage, visualizing data takes no effort at all. You can import data from CSV or Google Sheets seamlessly and create stunning charts, graphs and icon stories effortlessly to showcase your data in a captivating and impactful way.

5. Clear and concise communication

Keep your language simple, and avoid jargon or complicated terms. Communicate your ideas clearly, so your audience can easily grasp and retain the information being conveyed. This can prevent confusion and enhance the overall effectiveness of the message. 

6. Engaging delivery

Spice up your presentation with a sprinkle of enthusiasm! Maintain eye contact, use expressive gestures and vary your tone of voice to keep your audience glued to the edge of their seats. A touch of charisma goes a long way!

7. Interaction and audience engagement

Turn your presentation into an interactive experience — encourage questions, foster discussions and maybe even throw in a fun activity. Engaged audiences are more likely to remember and embrace your message.

Transform your slides into an interactive presentation with Venngage’s dynamic features like pop-ups, clickable icons and animated elements. Engage your audience with interactive content that lets them explore and interact with your presentation for a truly immersive experience.

8. Effective storytelling

Who doesn’t love a good story? Weaving relevant anecdotes, case studies or even a personal story into your presentation can captivate your audience and create a lasting impact. Stories build connections and make your message memorable.

A great presentation background is also essential as it sets the tone, creates visual interest and reinforces your message. Enhance the overall aesthetics of your presentation with these 15 presentation background examples and captivate your audience’s attention.

9. Well-timed pacing

Pace your presentation thoughtfully with well-designed presentation slides, neither rushing through nor dragging it out. Respect your audience’s time and ensure you cover all the essential points without losing their interest.

10. Strong conclusion

Last impressions linger! Summarize your main points and leave your audience with a clear takeaway. End your presentation with a bang , a call to action or an inspiring thought that resonates long after the conclusion.

In-person presentations aside, acing a virtual presentation is of paramount importance in today’s digital world. Check out this guide to learn how you can adapt your in-person presentations into virtual presentations . 

Preparing an effective presentation starts with laying a strong foundation that goes beyond just creating slides and notes. One of the quickest and best ways to make a presentation would be with the help of a good presentation software . 

Otherwise, let me walk you to how to prepare for a presentation step by step and unlock the secrets of crafting a professional presentation that sets you apart.

1. Understand the audience and their needs

Before you dive into preparing your masterpiece, take a moment to get to know your target audience. Tailor your presentation to meet their needs and expectations , and you’ll have them hooked from the start!

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

Time to hit the books (or the internet)! Don’t skimp on the research with your presentation materials — dive deep into the subject matter and gather valuable insights . The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel in delivering your presentation.

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

No one wants to stumble through a chaotic mess of information. Outline your presentation with a clear and logical flow. Start with a captivating introduction, follow up with main points that build on each other and wrap it up with a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.

Delivering an effective business presentation hinges on captivating your audience, and Venngage’s professionally designed business presentation templates are tailor-made for this purpose. With thoughtfully structured layouts, these templates enhance your message’s clarity and coherence, ensuring a memorable and engaging experience for your audience members.

Don’t want to build your presentation layout from scratch? pick from these 5 foolproof presentation layout ideas that won’t go wrong. 

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

Spice up your presentation with eye-catching visuals! Create slides that complement your message, not overshadow it. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean you need to overload your slides with text.

Well-chosen designs create a cohesive and professional look, capturing your audience’s attention and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your message. Here’s a list of carefully curated PowerPoint presentation templates and great background graphics that will significantly influence the visual appeal and engagement of your presentation.

5. Practice, practice and practice

Practice makes perfect — rehearse your presentation and arrive early to your presentation to help overcome stage fright. Familiarity with your material will boost your presentation skills and help you handle curveballs with ease.

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek feedback from friends and colleagues. Constructive criticism can help you identify blind spots and fine-tune your presentation to perfection.

With Venngage’s real-time collaboration feature , receiving feedback and editing your presentation is a seamless process. Group members can access and work on the presentation simultaneously and edit content side by side in real-time. Changes will be reflected immediately to the entire team, promoting seamless teamwork.

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

Prepare for the unexpected by checking your equipment, internet connection and any other potential hiccups. If you’re worried that you’ll miss out on any important points, you could always have note cards prepared. Remember to remain focused and rehearse potential answers to anticipated questions.

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

As the big day approaches, give your presentation one last shine. Review your talking points, practice how to present a presentation and make any final tweaks. Deep breaths — you’re on the brink of delivering a successful presentation!

In competitive environments, persuasive presentations set individuals and organizations apart. To brush up on your presentation skills, read these guides on how to make a persuasive presentation and tips to presenting effectively . 

Whether you’re an experienced presenter or a novice, the right techniques will let your presentation skills soar to new heights!

From public speaking hacks to interactive elements and storytelling prowess, these 9 effective presentation techniques will empower you to leave a lasting impression on your audience and make your presentations unforgettable.

1. Confidence and positive body language

Positive body language instantly captivates your audience, making them believe in your message as much as you do. Strengthen your stage presence and own that stage like it’s your second home! Stand tall, shoulders back and exude confidence. 

2. Eye contact with the audience

Break down that invisible barrier and connect with your audience through their eyes. Maintaining eye contact when giving a presentation builds trust and shows that you’re present and engaged with them.

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

A little movement goes a long way! Emphasize key points with purposeful gestures and don’t be afraid to walk around the stage. Your energy will be contagious!

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

Weave the magic of storytelling into your presentation. Share relatable anecdotes, inspiring success stories or even personal experiences that tug at the heartstrings of your audience. Adjust your pitch, pace and volume to match the emotions and intensity of the story. Varying your speaking voice adds depth and enhances your stage presence.

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

Spice up your presentation with a dash of visual pizzazz! Use slides, images and video clips to add depth and clarity to your message. Just remember, less is more—don’t overwhelm them with information overload. 

Turn your presentations into an interactive party! Involve your audience with questions, polls or group activities. When they actively participate, they become invested in your presentation’s success. Bring your design to life with animated elements. Venngage allows you to apply animations to icons, images and text to create dynamic and engaging visual content.

6. Utilize humor strategically

Laughter is the best medicine—and a fantastic presentation enhancer! A well-placed joke or lighthearted moment can break the ice and create a warm atmosphere , making your audience more receptive to your message.

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

Be attentive to your audience’s reactions and feedback. If they have questions or concerns, address them with genuine interest and respect. Your responsiveness builds rapport and shows that you genuinely care about their experience.

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

Apply the 10-20-30 presentation rule and keep it short, sweet and impactful! Stick to ten slides, deliver your presentation within 20 minutes and use a 30-point font to ensure clarity and focus. Less is more, and your audience will thank you for it!

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

Simplicity is key. Limit each slide to five bullet points, with only five words per bullet point and allow each slide to remain visible for about five seconds. This rule keeps your presentation concise and prevents information overload.

Simple presentations are more engaging because they are easier to follow. Summarize your presentations and keep them simple with Venngage’s gallery of simple presentation templates and ensure that your message is delivered effectively across your audience.

1. How to start a presentation?

To kick off your presentation effectively, begin with an attention-grabbing statement or a powerful quote. Introduce yourself, establish credibility and clearly state the purpose and relevance of your presentation.

2. How to end a presentation?

For a strong conclusion, summarize your talking points and key takeaways. End with a compelling call to action or a thought-provoking question and remember to thank your audience and invite any final questions or interactions.

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

To make your presentation interactive, encourage questions and discussion throughout your talk. Utilize multimedia elements like videos or images and consider including polls, quizzes or group activities to actively involve your audience.

In need of inspiration for your next presentation? I’ve got your back! Pick from these 120+ presentation ideas, topics and examples to get started. 

Creating a stunning presentation with Venngage is a breeze with our user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and professionally designed templates for all your communication needs. 

Here’s how to make a presentation in just 5 simple steps with the help of Venngage:

Step 1: Sign up for Venngage for free using your email, Gmail or Facebook account or simply log in to access your account. 

Step 2: Pick a design from our selection of free presentation templates (they’re all created by our expert in-house designers).

Step 3: Make the template your own by customizing it to fit your content and branding. With Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can easily modify text, change colors and adjust the layout to create a unique and eye-catching design.

Step 4: Elevate your presentation by incorporating captivating visuals. You can upload your images or choose from Venngage’s vast library of high-quality photos, icons and illustrations. 

Step 5: Upgrade to a premium or business account to export your presentation in PDF and print it for in-person presentations or share it digitally for free!

By following these five simple steps, you’ll have a professionally designed and visually engaging presentation ready in no time. With Venngage’s user-friendly platform, your presentation is sure to make a lasting impression. So, let your creativity flow and get ready to shine in your next presentation!

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How to Give a Great Online Presentation: 11 Pro Tips

Giving a presentation online is much more difficult than presenting in front of a live audience.

People get distracted easily. You can’t read the room. Often, you can’t even see your audience.

Because of this, it’s hard to engage and captivate your participants.

Hard, indeed. But not impossible.

I put together these 11 tips that will help you turn your online presentation from good to great.

And don’t just take my word for it.

Among these tips, you’ll also find the wisdom of  Nathan Gold , high-stakes presentation coach, and seasoned keynote speaker, and Gibson Biddle , former VP of Product at Netflix, now a teacher, speaker, and workshop host.

Ready to take your online presentation to the next level?

#1. Cut the number of your slides and simplify them

Don’t overwhelm your online audience with too many slides or they may easily zone out. In case you have more material, consider splitting the presentation into two sessions.

Also, make your slides minimalistic. One idea, one quote, or one number per slide is ideal. This will make the information more digestible and draw attention to what you’re saying instead of forcing people to read.

#2. Use the rule of three

A good structure helps people follow your story and understand your presented content better. Gibson Biddle recommends following the rule of three because:

• 3 items are easy to remember
• They help you minimize your text
• 3 chapters provide guideposts for the content of your presentation

The rule of three will help you hold the message of your talk together nicely.

Apply it in the design of your slides (3 bullet points a slide), or use it to structure your whole presentation (three main takeaways).

#3. Fail to rehearse at your own peril

Improvisation has a certain appeal, for sure. But don’t leave your online presentation to a chance. Take your time and rehearse your talk well. Otherwise, your online gig might come across as unprofessional and messy.

I usually give as much as one hour of rehearsal time for every minute of my talk before any large presentation that I give.

Nathan Gold goes even beyond that. In this webinar, he says that whenever he trains TED and TEDx speakers, he asks them to commit to around two hours of out-loud practice for every minute of their talk.

Of course, the length and intensity of your preparation is entirely up to you. What’s important is that you’re confident about how you’re prepared. At least, though, run through your slides and content about an hour before your talk and rehearse your opening well so that you start strong.

#4. Start with a strong hook

Speaking of starting strong. Captivate your audience right from the start of your presentation. Open your talk with a powerful statement, story, thought-provoking question, or an eye-opening number.

See our new vlog below where I share 5 types of hooks to open your presentation with.

Another great practice is to actively involve your audience in your talk right from the beginning. Let the tech aid you there.

In his webinar on how to captivate an online audience, Nathan Gold kicked things off with an interactive word cloud : Using one word, describe how you feel about presenting online.

This way, he learned something more about his audience and was able to address their concerns throughout his presentation.

To make it more impactful, he repeated the same word cloud at the end of his webinar to see how his participants’ feelings changed after his presentation. The result was remarkable. Watch it here at 31:30 .

#5. Quiz your audience

A quiz is another brilliant way to start (or finish) your online presentation. Running a quiz is fun for your participants and allows you to connect and “talk” with your audience even if you can’t see them.

Prepare a short, four to six-question quiz on the topic of your presentation and let your participants guess away. You can even motivate your audience to participate by giving away some small treats for the winners.

Tools such as Slido allow you to create your online quiz in a couple of minutes and run it during your online speech, webinar, or workshop.

Read also: Step-by-Step Guide for Hosting a Great Online Quiz

#6. Use a backdrop or a virtual background

Even if the situation forces you to give your presentation from your home, avoid letting your audience peek into your kitchen or living room. You will appear much more professional against a plain wall or a special backdrop that you can install easily in your room.

If your video conferencing tool allows you to set up a virtual background (such as Zoom ), choose one that’s pleasing but not disturbing for your audience to look at.

Canva put together an awesome virtual background library, you can pick one from here .

#7. Position your web camera at eye-level

Even if you can’t always see your audience, that doesn’t mean you can’t be looking them in the eyes.

Nathan Gold advises moving your laptop/phone camera up so it’s approximately your eye level. This way, it will appear as if you’re looking right at your audience which feels much more natural.

You can also play around with tripods and stands to achieve the most comfortable position for you. For example, Nathan has his web camera mounted on a tripod in front of his computer screen which allows him to look at his slides while still being glued to the camera.

#8. Prepare secret notes

Here’s another great hack from Nathan Gold that will help you keep an eye-contact with your online audience.

If you want to keep notes to remind you about some important things you want to mention during your presentation, write them down on sticky notes and stick them behind your camera, close enough for you to read through them comfortably.

This way, your audience won’t even notice that you’re glancing at your notes (as opposed to looking down when reading from your notebook).

#9. Keep engaging with your participants

Throughout your presentation, space out several interaction points that will bring your attendees back in case they tuned out. Take inspiration from Gibson Biddle who likes to break the dynamic of his webinars and workshops by asking his audience questions through live polls .

Live polls offer you a great chance to open a conversation with your audience, get their instant feedback on your presented material, and collect their opinions.

Since people tend to lose attention when attending a presentation online, re-engaging them throughout your talk is even more important. When I present online, I space out live polls every about 5-7 minutes, as opposed to every 7-10 minutes in the live setting.

Another great way to interact with your audience is to let them ask you questions. Collect your participants’ questions using Slido Q&A and then answer their questions at the end of your online presentation.

#10. Have a wrap-up slide to summarize your points

By the end of your presentation, conclude your talk by summing up all the important messages and key lessons on a separate slide. You’ll draw the full circle and your audience will get a nice overview of what they learned.

Or, end your presentation with a call to action or a tangible next step for your audience to do. Encourage your participants to try practices that you shared, provide actionable steps they should follow, and share ways for them to keep in touch with you.

#11. Ask for feedback

Feedback is the best gift your attendees can give you in return for the learnings that you shared throughout your talk. Without it, you don’t know what your audience liked or disliked. In other words, you can’t improve.

Create a simple feedback survey and ask your participants to fill it out at the end of your talk.

Make it easy for your audience to participate in the survey. For example, during his webinar, Gibson had a QR code displayed on the screen and described in detail how the participants should scan the code and take the survey.

The feedback form can be really simple – three questions will do.

Try something like:

• On a scale of 1-10, how did you like this presentation? (Rating)
• What is the one thing that you liked about today’s talk? (Open text)
• What’s the one thing that could have been better? (Open text)

To sum it all up

I hope that by now you’re more confident about presenting online and that the above tips will make you a better online speaker.

See how Slido can help you make your next online talk more engaging for your audience. Try live polls, quizzes, or Q&A and take your online presentation from good to truly great.

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14 effective presentation tips to impress your audience

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

Anete Ezera July 15, 2022

An effective presentation can communicate key ideas and opinions, save time, and contribute to your overall success as a business, but good presentation skills don’t come naturally to everyone. In this blog post, you’ll find 14 effective presentation tips you can implement in your next presentation to make it a success. 

Whether you’re preparing for an important presentation at work or school, or you’re looking for ways to generally improve your presentation skills, you’ll find these presentation tips useful. We’ve gathered a list to help you impress your audience from the get-go. You’ll find tips for creating and presenting your slides, talking in front of an audience, and other effective presentation techniques to help you stand out. 

Most common presentation mistakes

Before we list our top effective presentation tips, let’s explore the most common presentation mistakes. If you’ve made one or more mistakes in this list, you’re not alone. Most people have made at least one mistake. However, what’s important is to be aware of these errors and try avoiding them next time.

#1 A poor start

One of the most common mistakes people make is undermining the importance of the first few minutes or seconds of their presentation. 

Let’s say you’ve practiced your key talking points meticulously and gone over your slides a million times, but when you’re in the spotlight and need to say your first line, do you know exactly what to say to wow the audience? 

The start of your presentation is crucial. Not only because how you start sets the tone for the rest of your presentation, but also because people generally require around 8 seconds to decide whether they find the subject interesting enough to keep listening. Starting your presentation with a captivating intro is even more important than you think. To ensure you start off right, read our guide on how to start your presentation . 

#2 Lack of preparation

Yes, even though it’s clear that you should prepare before giving a presentation, it’s still a common mistake amongst presenters. Preparing content and talking points is an obvious start, but there are other steps that you might be overlooking.

Before you even join a meeting or walk into a room where you’re going to present, consider the technical requirements and get familiar with the equipment. If you’re presenting online, make sure to test-run your presentation and the visual aids you’re going to use. The last thing you want is a broken video link, poor audio, or a weak connection when you’re presenting. 

Also, consider the questions your audience might want to ask you about the topic. Think about how you’d answer those questions, or do even further research to really impress the audience with your answers. 

Explore other ways to prepare for a presentation to feel even more confident when presenting.

#3 Losing track of time

It’s great to feel passionate about your topic. However, you’ll have to consider your audience’s level of interest and knowledge. Some details might seem fascinating to you, and you’d like to talk about them for hours, but for your audience, too much information will drain their energy and lose their attention. 

Therefore, make sure to keep track of time. Also, consider your audience’s interests. A concise presentation is always better than a long one with a ton of information. Plus, you’ll have a higher chance of keeping your audience’s attention throughout the presentation. 

Effective presentation tips

Now that we’ve looked at some of the most common presentation mistakes – let’s dive into effective presentation tips that’ll help you excel in future presentations. 

#1 Tell a story

Stories connect, inspire, and empower people. Telling a story can entice action, help understand an idea, and make people feel connected to the storyteller. It’s also one of the most effective presentation tips. A study by organizational psychologist Peg Neuhauser found that a well-told story is easier to remember than facts, which makes it a highly effective learning technique. 

With that in mind, telling a story when you’re presenting can engage your audience and make it a more memorable experience. You can either share a personal story or a historical event, just make sure to have a clear connection between the story and the topic you’re presenting. 

#2 Work on your body language

Body language can make a huge difference in how your presentation is perceived. It’s one of the presentation tips you definitely shouldn’t overlook. 

Body language says a lot about a person’s confidence level, emotions, state of mind, and even credibility. For the audience, it’s a way to understand what the person is saying and how interested they are in the topic. 

Therefore, work on your body language to better convey the message you’re trying to communicate. Practice in front of a mirror before your presentation and be conscious of your hand gestures and facial expressions. 

#3 Understand your audience

Before crafting your presentation, you must know who you’re speaking to. Understanding the interests, demographics, professional background, and other valuable information of your audience is crucial in making your speech successful. 

If you’re speaking at an event, contact the organizers to get more information about other speakers and the audience. If you’re presenting at work, you may already know your audience fairly well. Use this information to your advantage and create content you know they’ll resonate with.

#4 Use high-quality visuals

What’s one of the most effective presentation techniques? Use of visuals. They play a crucial role in your presentation. However, only high-quality visuals will make a good impression and effectively communicate your message. Use high-quality visuals like images, videos, graphs, maps, and others to really land your point. 

Using visuals is a great way to convey your ideas as they’re easier to process than text. If you’re not sure where to find great visuals, check out our blog post on presentation visuals for five free resources.

P.S. the Prezi library holds a variety of images, videos, GIFs, stickers, and other visuals, including different charts and maps to spice up your presentation. It’s all available in your dashboard .

#5 Use data visualizations

Do you want to showcase statistics or other datasets in your presentation? Use data visualizations to make your data stand out and impress your audience. 

There’s nothing more boring than a bunch of data presented in a flat way. If you want to tell a story with your data, use interactive infographics or slides enriched with eye-catching visuals. Showcasing data will make your ideas appear more trustworthy and credible. 

Prezi Design offers a range of templates to choose from. You can start creating data visualizations from scratch or choose a template and edit the data there. 

#6 Make it engaging with interactive elements

It’s not easy to deliver an engaging presentation. People can easily get distracted or try to multitask, especially in the virtual environment. Sometimes, it’s difficult to focus on the speaker and the written text. Other times, the content just isn’t impressive enough to hold the audience’s attention. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

You can make your presentation more engaging for everyone by including interactive content like graphs and charts. With interactive data visualizations, you’ll make the data discovery process more engaging and exciting for your audience. 

Your audience will be able to hover over data points and click on certain icons or datasets to discover information on their own. Interactive visualizations will make the presentation more memorable and impressive. 

As you can see in the example below, you can discover different data by engaging with the infographic. 

#7 Stay consistent with fonts and color styles

You want your presentation to look visually appealing and highlight essential information. To make that happen, stay consistent with font styles and color schemes throughout your presentation. 

Use one or two fonts max to make the text easy to read and understand. Also, use a carefully selected color scheme that’s not too distracting. If you’re using Prezi Design, you can easily copy and paste styles by right-clicking on your data visualizations and selecting “copy styles.” This makes it easier to stay consistent and saves time when picking matching colors. 

#8 Structure your presentation properly

Before creating your presentation, think about its structure. What’s the main idea you want to convey? Use that as your starting point, and only include information that adds value to the narrative. 

Plan out the first topics carefully to properly introduce your argument. Add the essential information in the middle part of your presentation. Lastly, close your presentation with a summary of the main points and leave your audience with an afterthought. Also, plan when you’re taking questions and for how long. 

For more insight, watch this tutorial on how to structure your presentation:

#9 Practice your public speaking skills

Public speaking may not be your forte, but you can get better with practice. Don’t decline a great opportunity to share your ideas with a larger audience just because you feel nervous speaking in front of a group of people. 

One of the best ways to improve your public speaking skills is to practice in front of your family or friends – people you feel comfortable with. Also, focus on the topic you’re presenting and get excited about the idea you want to convey. This way you’ll appear more confident and feel less nervous about public speaking. 

Explore other public speaking tips from Jessica Chen, the founder, and CEO of Soulcast Media: 

#10 Show your slides next to you on-screen

If you’re presenting on Zoom or in a virtual meeting , think twice before you share your screen. The days of hiding behind slides are over. People want to see and connect with other people, not sit through another run-of-the-mill screen share. To do that, use Prezi Video to showcase all your content right next to you in your video feed. 

As a result, your presentation will look more engaging than a traditional virtual presentation . Also, your audience will have the chance to read your body language and follow along with what you’re saying even better. 

If you already have your slides prepared, don’t worry – you can easily integrate them into Prezi. 

See Prezi Video in action and check out our video templates to get started.

#11 Calm down before presenting

Being in front of an audience can feel nerve-racking. However, there are ways to calm down before presenting that will make you feel more centered and confident. The last thing you want is all your hard work to go to waste just because of stress. 

Try breathing exercises or a five-minute guided meditation before presenting. The trick is to remove all distractions and focus on the present moment so you’re not overthinking right before starting your presentation. Also, be fully prepared and know exactly what to say and when which will help you feel more collected. If you want to discover other ways to feel and look more confident, read how not to be nervous before a presentation . 

#12 Use transitions and animations 

Add movement to your slides with transitions and animations. You’ll make your presentation more visually appealing and engaging. However, be careful not to overwhelm your audience with your choice of transitions and animations. 

Choose a transition that matches your presentation visually and use it throughout your presentation. Consider what animations will be relevant to your audience and select a few to add to your slides. Don’t overdo it. Keep the focus on the message you’re trying to convey, and use animations to only support that message. 

#13 Be enthusiastic 

When you’re in a room with a positive and enthusiastic person, you can’t help but feel uplifted as well. High-energy people have this effect on others. Most importantly, a lot of people tend to mimic people’s behavior and mirror their energy when they feel a connection or relate to them. That’s called the chameleon effect . 

When you’re presenting, you want your audience to feel curious about what you’re presenting. You may also want to leave your audience feeling uplifted, interested to know more, or inspired. To have that effect on others, try to convey those emotions when presenting. Practice your speech, slow down your narration at times, or take a pause after you’ve delivered a statement, and use different presentation techniques to present your project and really drive your points home. 

#14 End your presentation in a memorable way

The first few minutes of your presentation are crucial for captivating your audience’s attention. However, don’t underestimate the importance of ending your presentation as powerfully as you started it. 

The way you end your presentation will play a crucial part in how your audience will remember it. You want to make a memorable impression by closing your presentation with a summarizing statement, a rhetorical question, a call to action, or another impactful way. Discover 10 ways you can end your presentation in our guide.  

There are a lot of factors to consider when creating and delivering a presentation. You want your slides to look professional and visually appealing while conveying your main points. You also want to look and sound confident even if you’re nervous about public speaking. Whatever your concerns may be, remember that preparation is essential. Practice and dedication are the keys to giving a successful presentation . Make sure to follow these effective presentation tips to excel in your future presentations. If you’re interested in creating a captivating presentation with Prezi, contact us to learn more or try it for free . 

Elevating presentations with Prezi AI

Embrace the innovation of Prezi to bring your presentations to life. With its unique platform, Prezi AI offers more than just visually appealing templates; it provides an immersive narrative experience, engaging your audience with a story-driven approach. By integrating Prezi AI , our platform’s capabilities are further enhanced, offering intelligent design suggestions and optimizing content layouts to ensure your presentations are not only beautiful but impactful. This integration is a perfect example of effective presentation techniques in action, using technology to create a more engaging presentation.

Interactive elements: transforming passive listening into active engagement

Prezi revolutionizes the way information is presented by incorporating interactive elements that invite audience participation. With Prezi AI, these features become even more accessible, suggesting ways to make your presentation more engaging through clickable areas, zoomable images, and dynamic visualizations. This level of interaction encourages exploration, making your message more memorable and transforming a standard presentation into an effective presentation.

Adding a personal touch in digital presentation with video

Prezi Video stands out by seamlessly integrating your content alongside your video feed, bridging the gap between traditional presentations and personal engagement. This feature is crucial for those looking to follow presentation tips that emphasize the importance of connecting with your audience on a more personal level. Prezi AI enhances this experience, ensuring your content is displayed in the most effective way possible, making your virtual presentations feel as though you’re directly conversing with your audience.

Mastering presentation artistry with Prezi

The journey to becoming a skilled presenter involves continuously refining your approach and embracing tools that elevate your ability to communicate effectively. Prezi, enriched with Prezi AI, is one such tool that transforms ordinary presentations into captivating experiences. By leveraging these advanced features, you can deliver presentations that are successful, memorable, and truly unforgettable, embodying the essence of tips for presentation mastery.

Whether you’re an experienced speaker or preparing for your first presentation, Prezi equips you with the tools to succeed. Engage your audience, tell compelling stories, and deliver your message with confidence and creativity. Following effective presentation tips and exploring how Prezi AI can transform your next presentation is a step towards mastering the art of impactful communication. Delve into the features and begin your journey to presentation mastery today.

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The 10 Best Presentation Websites To Build Stunning Slideshows

In today’s fast-paced world, catching your audience’s attention is one of the hardest things to do, but a well-crafted presentation will help you do just that! However, creating a presentation can be a daunting task, especially on the go, and that is exactly why we have curated a list of the best presentation websites that you can use to create stunning presentations on the go.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the world of presentation websites, exploring the best platforms to help you create your slides. Whether you’re a student, professional, or entrepreneur, we’ve got you covered.

The 10 Best PPT Making Sites

When it comes to creating presentations online, these websites are some of the best that you will ever encounter! From creating a deck of slides with the help of real professional design experts to using AI to create slides within minutes, you will find it all on these sites!

1. SlideUpLift

Price: Plans start from $18.99 Best Known For: 40,000+ library of presentation templates catering to all business needs, AI tools to create stunning presentations, Proprietary Presentation Services platform for corporate users 

If you are a business professional looking to create visually impactful presentations, then SlideUpLift is the website you are looking for! You will find more than 40,000+  professional PowerPoint templates and AI apps that help create visually stunning presentations. One of their coolest AI tools is SlideEnhance., an AI app that transforms your simple slides into masterpieces within seconds. All you have to do is import your slide and watch it beautify it before you can even blink! SlideUpLift offers not only AI apps but also professional presentation design services . They work closely with businesses to create custom presentations that match their brand and goals perfectly. They have a proprietary presentation services platform for their service users where they can initiate requests, review drafts, give feedback, and download final versions, all in a single interface.

Price: Plans start from $5 Best Known For: Creating engaging and dynamic presentations

Known for its nonlinear canvases, Prezi is among the best presentation websites out there! With the help of Prezi, you can easily zoom in and out of your elements to create an interactive storytelling experience for your audience. The best part about Prezi is that you can present content over a user’s video feed, allowing it to be even more engaging than other presentation tools. It is a browser-based application, which means there will be fewer compatibility concerns

Price: $12.99 monthly Best Known For: Versatile designing software, detailed editing

Canva has always been known for graphic designing, but not many know that it is one of the most powerful websites for presentations. It not only offers a wide range of templates, design elements, and images that help you create stunning presentations. Talking about collaborating, Canva also provides a collaborative feature, allowing you to work simultaneously with your teammates. Canva also has a paid plan, allowing you to access its entire library of elements and templates.

4. SlidesAI

Price: $10 per month Best Known For: Transforming text into visually appealing slides

Next on our list of the best presentation websites is SlidesAI, a site that uses AI to help create eye-catching presentations quickly. It uses a text-to-presentation AI that converts all the text provided into stunning slideshows. This lets you save time on designing your own presentation and focus on your delivery and presentation skills.

5. Mentimeter

Price: Plans start from $11.99 Best Known For: Creating interactive presentations

Are you looking to create presentations that can have live quizzes, polls, and Q&A sessions? Then Mentimeter is exactly what you have been looking for! This presentation site is perfect for creating real-time polls, Q&A sessions, and quizzes while letting your audience join in using their phone or laptop. The amazing part about Mentimeter is that it is all seamless, and you even receive real-time insights, making it a popular choice when it comes to audience engagement.

Price: Plans start from $89 per month  Best Known For: Creating stunning animated presentations and videos

Struggling to bring your presentations to life? PowToon is your animated savior! As one of the top presentation platforms, it empowers you to create dynamic, eye-catching slides effortlessly. With a treasure trove of templates and endless animation options, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

If you are struggling with animations in PowerPoint, check out our guide on adding animations in PowerPoint !

7. Slidebean

Price: Depends on the presentation Best Known For: Using AI tools to design presentations

When talking about good websites for presentations, we have to mention Slidebean. This site is another AI-powered website that helps you create visually appealing presentations within minutes. With the help of a vast collection of templates with text suggestions for various industries and the ability to add your brand identity, it is one of the best websites for creating presentations.

8. Microsoft Sway

Price: Free

Best Known For: Storytelling in presentations through interactive elements 

Next on our list of best PowerPoint websites comes Microsoft Sway, an innovative site that helps create interactive and fascinating slideshows. Whether you are using Sway for school, professional, or even personal use, you will be surprised by its built-in design engine and multiple presentation layouts. Sway has its own multimedia elements, and it integrates with all other Microsoft Office applications, allowing seamless sharing and access.

9. Google Slides

Price: Free Best Known For: Collaboration and accessibility

Not mentioning Google Slides in our list of good presentation websites has to be considered a sin. Google Slides is one of the first presentation sites that everyone has visited when creating a presentation online. With its cloud-sharing capabilities and collaboration options, you can easily create professional slideshows with your colleagues without downloading anything!

Price: Plans starts from $12.25 per month

Best Known For: All-in-one visual communication tool

Rounding out our list is Visme, a standout online presentation tool. Its unparalleled customization options let you craft presentations that perfectly match your vision. With an advanced design interface and a wealth of templates, creating stunning visuals is a breeze.

How To Choose The Best Presentation Website?

Well, the best way to choose a website to create your presentation relies on a few factors that you need to consider:

1. Determine Your Needs

The first step is to figure out what you want your presentation to achieve. Is it a formal business pitch or a casual classroom lesson? Understanding your goal will help you narrow down your options and find the perfect presentation site. 

2. Evaluate The Website’s Features

Look at the websites you are shortlisting and check for the features they provide. Websites that provide templates, AI tools, multimedia support, integration, and collaborative features are some of the sites that you should pick over others. A good choice for business professionals is SlideUpLift. They offer 40,000+  templates that are specifically created for business needs and are compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides.

3. Check For Multimedia Support

When choosing a website to create your presentations online, check whether the site can import all your multimedia files, like interactive media, audio, video, and photo. Also, check if the site can easily use the templates and themes you have chosen for your slideshow.

4. Check The Privacy & Security Policy

One last thing to consider before choosing any presentation website is to review the website’s security and privacy policy. If you are using a website to make a presentation online on their platform, you don’t want anyone getting your data or information! And if you are downloading templates from a website to create presentations, look into their download policy to ensure no trespassing of copyright issues.  

Selecting the right website can help change your presentation game! With so many options to choose from, you are spoilt for choice! Remember that good presentations aren’t about stunning visuals but effectively communicating your message. Using our tips on how to create a professional presentation , you can not only create slideshows that impress but also inspire!

What is the best site for PowerPoint templates?

SlideUpLift is the best website to download PowerPoint templates. It has more than 40,000 templates covering a wide range of topics. These templates are 100% editable so that the customers can make the necessary changes as per their will.

What are some of the best presentation websites to create slideshows online?

There are several online websites where you can make presentations. However, Google Slides is an excellent platform to start with. When paired with SlideUpLift’s templates, you are bound to create stunning presentations.

How do I create a presentation without PowerPoint?

There are numerous alternatives to creating slideshows without PowerPoint, like Google Slides, PowToon, and Prezi. 

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What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)

Presentation skills are essential for your personal and professional life. Learn about effective presentations and how to boost your presenting techniques.

Presentation skills are essential for a successful career in many fields. They are important for building confidence, enhancing collaboration, and developing robust critical-thinking skills. Although it might be tempting to think these skills are reserved for people interested in public speaking roles, they're critical in diverse jobs. For example, you may need to use presentation skills to pitch new ideas to clients or to explain your perspective on an issue to a manager. 

Presentation skills are essential in various scenarios, including working with a team and explaining your thought process, walking clients through project ideas and timelines, and highlighting your strengths and achievements to your manager during performance reviews.

Whatever the scenario, you want to begin by capturing your audience’s attention with a well-crafted opening and get your point across when presenting information. Effective presentation skills help you get your point across and connect with the people you’re communicating with, which is why nearly every employer requires them.

Understanding what presentation skills are is only half the battle. Honing your techniques is essential for mastering presentations of all kinds and in all settings.

What are presentation skills?

Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images.

You'll make presentations at various times in your life. Examples include:

Making speeches at a wedding, conference, or another event

Making a toast at a dinner or event

Explaining projects to a team 

Delivering results and findings to management teams

Teaching people specific methods or information

Proposing a vote at community group meetings

Pitching a new idea or business to potential partners or investors

Why are presentation skills important? 

Delivering effective presentations is critical in your professional and personal life. You’ll need to hone your presentation skills in various areas, such as when giving a speech, convincing your partner to make a substantial purchase, and talking to friends and family about an important situation.

Whether you’re using them in a personal or professional setting, these skills make it easier and more effective to convey your ideas, convince or persuade others, and experience success. A few of the benefits that often accompany improving your presentation skills include:

Enriched written and verbal communication skills

Enhanced confidence and self-image

Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Better motivational techniques

Increased leadership skills

Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

The better your presenting techniques, the more engaging your presentations will be. You could also have greater opportunities to impact business and other areas of your life positively.

Effective presentation skills

Imagine yourself in the audience at a TED Talk or sitting with your coworkers at a big meeting held by your employer. What would you be looking for in how they deliver their message? What would make you feel engaged?

Those are a few questions to ask yourself as you review this list of effective presentation skills.

Verbal communication

How you use language and deliver messages is essential to how your audience will receive your presentation. Speak clearly and confidently, projecting your voice enough to ensure everyone can hear. Think before you speak, pausing when necessary, and tailoring the way you talk to resonate with your particular audience.

Body language

Body language combines critical elements, including posture, gestures, eye contact, expressions, and position in front of the audience. Body language is one of the elements that can instantly transform a presentation that would otherwise be dull into one that's dynamic and interesting.

Voice projection

Projecting your voice improves your presentation by allowing your audience to hear you. It also increases your confidence, helping to settle lingering nerves while making your message more engaging. To project your voice, stand comfortably with your shoulders back. Take deep breaths to power your voice and ensure you enunciate every syllable.

How you present yourself affects your body language and ability to project your voice. It also sets the tone for the presentation. Remain open, upright, and adaptable while considering the formality of the occasion instead of slouching or looking overly tense.

Storytelling

Many powerful public speakers use storytelling effectively and incorporate it into their presentations. Storytelling can bring your subject to life and pique the audience’s curiosity. Don’t be afraid to tell a personal story, slowly building up suspense or adding a dramatic moment. And, of course, be sure to end with a positive takeaway to drive your point home.

Active listening

Active listening is a valuable skill all on its own. When you understand and thoughtfully respond to what you hear—whether it's in a conversation or during a presentation—you’ll likely deepen your personal relationships and actively engage audiences during a presentation. As part of your presentation skill set, it helps catch and maintain the audience’s attention, helping them remain focused while minimising passive response, ensuring the message is delivered correctly, and encouraging a call to action.

Stage presence

During a presentation, projecting confidence can help keep your audience engaged. Stage presence can help you connect with your audience and encourage them to want to watch you. To improve your presence, try amplifying your normal demeanour with enthusiasm. Project confidence and keep your information interesting.

Watch your audience as you present. If you hold their attention, it likely means you’re connecting well with them.

Self-awareness

Monitoring your emotions and reactions will allow you to react well in various situations. It will also help you remain personable throughout your presentation and handle feedback well. Self-awareness can help soothe nervousness during presentations, allowing you to perform more effectively.

Writing skills

Writing is a form of presentation. Sharp writing skills can help you master your presentation’s outline to ensure you stay on message and remain clear about your objectives from the beginning until the end. It’s also helpful to have strong writing abilities for creating compelling slides and other visual aids.

Understanding an audience

When you understand your audience's needs and interests, you can design your presentation around them. This will deliver maximum value to them and enhance your ability to make your message easy to understand.

How to improve presentation skills

Public speaking is an art form of sorts, and just like any other type of art, this is one that requires practice. Improving your presentation skills will help reduce miscommunications, enhance your time management capabilities, and boost your leadership skills. The following offers a few tips to help you improve these skills:

Work on self-confidence.

When you’re confident, you naturally speak more clearly and with more authority. Preparing your presentation with a strong opening and compelling visual aids can help you feel more confident. Other ways to improve your self-confidence include practising positive self-talk, surrounding yourself with positive people, and avoiding comparing yourself (or your presentation) to others.

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

Many people are nervous or fearful before giving a presentation. A bad memory of past performance or insufficient self-confidence can contribute to fear and anxiety. Having a few go-to strategies like deep breathing, practising your presentation, and grounding can help you transform that fear into extra energy to put into your stage presence.

Learn grounding techniques.

Grounding is a technique that helps you steer your focus away from distressing thoughts and keeps you connected with your present self. To ground yourself, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and imagine you’re a large, mature tree with roots extending deep into the earth—like the tree, you can become unshakable.

Learn how to use presentation tools.

Visual aids and other technical support can transform an otherwise good presentation into a wow-worthy one. A few popular presentation tools include:

Canva: Provides easy-to-design templates you can customise

Powtoon: Animation software that makes video creation fast and easy

PowerPoint: Microsoft's iconic program popular for dynamic marketing and sales presentations

Practice breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques can help quell anxiety, making it easier to shake off pre-presentation jitters and nerves. It also helps relax your muscles and get more oxygen to your brain.  For some pre-presentation calmness, you can take deep breaths, slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

While presenting, breathe in through your mouth with the back of your tongue relaxed so your audience doesn't hear a gasping sound. Speak on your exhalation, maintaining a smooth voice.

Gain experience.

The more you practice, the better you’ll become. The more you do anything, the more comfortable you’ll feel engaging in that activity. Presentations are no different. Repeatedly practising your own presentation also offers the opportunity to get feedback from other people and tweak your style and content as needed.

Tips to help you ace your presentation

Your presentation isn’t about you but the material you’re presenting. Sometimes, reminding yourself of this ahead of taking centre stage can help take you out of your head and allow you to connect effectively with your audience. The following are many actions you can take on the day of your presentation.

Arrive early.

Since you may have a bit of presentation-related anxiety, it’s important to avoid adding travel stress. Give yourself ample time to arrive at your destination, and consider heavy traffic and other unforeseen events. By arriving early, you also give yourself time to meet with any on-site technicians, test your equipment, and connect with people ahead of the presentation.

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

Arriving early also allows you to assess the room and determine where you want to stand. Experiment with the acoustics to determine how loudly you need to project your voice and test your equipment to make sure everything connects and appears properly with the available setup. This is an excellent opportunity to work out any last-minute concerns and move around to familiarise yourself with the setting for improved stage presence.

Listen to the presenters ahead of you.

When you watch others present, you'll get a feel for the room's acoustics and lighting. You can also listen for any relevant data and revisit it during your presentation—this can make the presentation more interactive and engaging.

Use note cards.

Writing yourself a script could provide you with more comfort. To prevent sounding too robotic or disengaged, only include talking points in your note cards if you get off track. Using note cards can help keep your presentation organised while sounding more authentic to your audience.

Improve your presentation skills with Coursera.

Cultivating effective presentation skills can be helpful in your personal and professional life, aiding you in everything from making a toast at your next celebration to pitching your team on a new project. Rehearsing your presentation and preparing ahead of time can help smooth the way forward, but these are only two options to improve your presentation skills. Learn to deliver clear and confident presentations with Dynamic Public Speaking from the University of Washington. Build confidence, develop new delivery techniques, and practice strategies for crafting compelling presentations for different purposes, occasions, and audiences.

Keep reading

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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

More From Forbes

15 presentation tips for captivating your audience and commanding the room.

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Person speaking in front of audience

Public speaking can be a daunting task, especially when addressing a large audience. Whether you're giving a presentation in the boardroom or delivering a keynote speech at a conference, holding your audience's attention and maintaining command of the room is paramount. The ability to captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression not only enhances your message's impact but also builds your reputation as a confident and effective speaker.

Here, Forbes Coaches Council members share invaluable tips and strategies to help you conquer your fear of public speaking and ensure that your next presentation or speech is a resounding success.

1. Be Confident

Be grounded and confident to be yourself and then tell great stories. Use your voice and the stage to bring the stories alive. Your audience will connect to the emotion of the story but make sure that it is relevant for your audience and related to the topic. - Cath Daley , Cath Daley Ltd

2. Find A Way To Actively Engage The Audience

Be prepared with ways to get your audience engaged and keep their focus. Whether that's relating to your audience, telling a joke or asking questions, actively driving engagement will make for a more effective presentation or speech. - Luke Feldmeier , Online Leadership Training - Career and Leadership Accelerator for Engineers

3. Create An Emotional Connection

Creating an emotional connection with the audience and involving them in your session fosters active participation, and ensures your audience stays engaged throughout. This also serves to enhance your presence and to create memories that stay with them long after your presentation ends. - Kristin Andree , Andree Group

4. Put Your Unique Take Front And Center

Do you have something unexpected to say about your topic? Something that goes against the mainstream opinion in your industry or is maybe even slightly provocative? If so, putting your unique take front and center in the title and the beginning of your talk and explaining or resolving it later keeps your audience engaged and interested. - Micha Goebig , Go Big Coaching & Communications, LLC

5. Remember That The Audience Doesn't Know Your Planned Speech

No one wants to see you fail as a speaker. Remember that the focus shouldn't be on whether or not you can recall verbatim every word of your planned speech. The focus should be on how to connect to your audience with a few key points using a combination of storytelling and facts. - Sheri Nasim , Center for Executive Excellence

6. Adapt Your Language To The Audience

Talk about something they are interested in or include elements that will keep them interested. Start by asking why your topic matters to each and every one of them. Use language adapted to the audience. Keep the key messages to two or three maximum. Show them what you think and why you care about the topic. - Isabelle Claus Teixeira , Business and Human Development Consulting Pte Ltd

7. Try To Incorporate An Element Of Surprise

Engagement is the key to keeping the audience's attention. Invite participation, tell stories, walk around, have visuals, include humor, raise your voice and ask questions. Think of a comedian who points at someone in the audience: "Hey, you with the red shirt?" Everyone pays attention. What element of surprise can you present? - Susan Jordan, MBA, MSODL, PCC , Sphereshift Coaching and Consulting

8. Know Your Audience

Doing research ahead of time to ensure you're providing the subject matter in a personalized manner will keep their attention. The topic will dictate the necessary vibe. Based on that, providing opportunities for the group to engage, such as shouting out a word, raising a hand, etc., will also help maintain their interest. - Lindsay Miller , Reverie Organizational Development Specialists

9. Use The Problem-Agitation-Solution Approach

Don't just give a presentation — share a story. It must be a story-audience fit though. Use the P.A.S. — problem-agitation-solution — approach. Start with introducing a problem, follow by agitating the problem via telling a relevant anecdote and conclude by offering a solution by giving an audience a clear, direct way to avoid the pain and learn the lesson. - Alla Adam , Alla Adam Coaching

10. Tell The Audience What They Need To Hear

Instead of trying to figure out what to say, figure out what the audience wants and needs to hear. This shift in perspective allows you to tailor your speech in a way that keeps audiences actively engaged because it's good content that they want to hear. - Robin Pou , The Confident Leader

11. Go All In

To command your audience's attention you have to get into the spirit of what you're teaching and go all in without second-guessing yourself. People want to be led, but they'll be unwilling to follow someone who isn't confident in what they are communicating. - Arash Vossoughi , Voss Coaching Co.

12. Use A Compelling Opening

Start your speech/presentation with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant story or a thought-provoking question. This initial engagement can help you establish a strong connection with the audience and set the stage for a captivating presentation. - Moza-Bella Tram , Moza-Bella LLC

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13. Be Authentic

Connect deeply with your essence and purpose. Radiate authenticity. When you're centered in genuine passion and truth others feel it, creating an unspoken bond. It's not about performing; it's about being present and real and offering value from the heart. That's magnetic. - Anna Yusim, MD , Yusim Psychiatry, Consulting & Executive Coaching

14. Let Your Audience Talk

There is nothing worse than stealing everyone's craving for autonomy and speaking the whole time. The person who does the talking does the learning. So, give some autonomy to the audience. Let them talk. Even if it's thinking time and talking to themselves, or to their neighbor or table group. This gains trust and they will lean into what you have to say even more. - Alex Draper , DX Learning Solutions

15. Leverage Non-Verbal Cues

My top tip is to engage your audience through storytelling. A compelling narrative captures attention, evokes emotion and makes complex ideas more relatable. Additionally, use body language and eye contact effectively. These non-verbal cues can significantly enhance your connection with the audience. - Peter Boolkah , The Transition Guy

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How to Create a Successful Project Presentation

Written by: Unenabasi Ekeruke

You’ve spent time working on a project that could be a potential game-changer for your company or client. Now you’re buzzing to present it to your team, investors and other key stakeholders.

Creating and delivering project presentations can be nerve-racking and you probably have one question running through your mind.

How do you get the decision-makers to understand your project or secure their buy-in?

Considering that some companies have had about 12% of failed projects in the past year, you want to create presentations that are not only convincing but memorable.

With the right project presentation deck, you can win and keep your audience’s attention long enough to explain project details and why it’s sure to succeed.

Not sure how to create successful project presentations? We’ve got you covered.

This article will show you how to set project goals and create winning presentations that take your project to the next level.

Here’s a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit project presentation templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

Let's get to it.

1 Set Goals for Your Project

Before you dive into the main details of your project presentation, you want to answer these questions:

• What is your project set out to achieve?
• Why is it important for you and your team to achieve your set goals?
• How do you plan to communicate your goals to your audience?

If you have to make long guesses before answering these questions, you’ve got a lot of work to do.  

Here’s what you should know. Beautiful or well-articulated project presentations aren’t a substitute for project planning. Without clear goals, your project is already set up to fail. And your investors might think, “why bother listening?” 

Many project managers tend to rush through the goal-setting phase, but we don't recommend this. That’s because you could be setting yourself up for failure.  

Once you clearly define your project goals, you can get stakeholders to buy into them. 

Now the question is, how do you set goals for your project and achieve them? One way to do that is by using the SMART goal setting method. 

Setting SMART Project Goals

SMART is an acronym that stands for S pecific, M easurable, A chievable, R elevant and T ime-Bound.  

SMART goals are a staple for planning and executing successful projects. It takes a deeper look into the finer details your audience care about, such as:

• Project plan and schedule,
• Project timelines,
• Milestones, 
• Potential roadblocks and more

For example, let's say your project aims to improve customer experience on web and mobile devices. Notice this example describes the end goal. But it doesn’t specify how you’ll work to enhance customer experience. 

Here’s how using SMART goals provides direction for your planned project. 

When setting your goals, be clear and specific about what you want to achieve in the end. 

A specific goal could be: “We want to build a responsive website and mobile app for our company to improve customer experience. This project will require inputs from our product design, software and marketing department”.

Measurable  

During your presentation, you'd have to answer questions like:

• What metrics will you use to determine if you meet the goal? 
• How will you know you’re on the right track? 

Having metrics in place will help you evaluate your project. Plus, you’d be able to monitor progress and optimize your project to achieve better results.

It doesn’t matter if you’re planning a short-term or long-term project. Ensure you set metrics and milestones that count towards your goal.

From our earlier example, a measurable goal could be to have: 

• Over 100,000 mobile app downloads on Google Playstore and Apple App Store. 
• A 20% bounce rate on your website and a 15% conversion rate on mobile and web. 

Attainable  

One of the most critical questions you want to ask during goal-setting is, “Can we achieve our set goal?” Do we have the resources to accomplish the goal within the available time frame? 

If the answer is no, then you’d have to consider what it would take to achieve those goals. This may require adjusting your goals or the resources needed to achieve your goal. 

Although it’s okay to be ambitious, you should also be realistic.  For example, getting 200,000 app downloads in one week could be overly ambitious if you’ve just launched your app. However, if you set out to achieve that goal in three months, that could make your project practicable. 

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Your project goals need to align with your broader business goals. Are your goals relevant to the growth and success of the company?  Are they worth allocating resources for?

For instance, if your company is B2B and doesn’t plan to expand to the B2C market, launching an e-commerce website would be an irrelevant goal. 

Time-Bound  

Regardless of your project type and size, you should set time frames. Setting target dates for deliverables creates a sense of urgency and motivates you to hit your goals. 

From our example above, a time-bound goal could be “We aim to achieve 100,000 mobile app downloads and a 15% conversion rate by the end of the fiscal year. Our company will launch the mobile app by Q3 with a robust marketing campaign that will run through the end of next fiscal year.”

Setting SMART goals doesn’t have to be a challenging task. Use the template below to set project goals that position your business for success. 

Communicate Project Goals to Your Team Members 

After you've set your goals, your team will play a key role in helping you achieve them. So you ensure they understand these things: 

• Why the project goals are in place
• What it's supposed to deliver for your business and customers
• How their role, team and department contributes to the success of the project

Unless you’re clear on this, the project can derail and move in all sorts of unwanted directions. 

Rather than slam the goals you’ve set on your team, make it a collaborative effort.  Spend time talking to your team and stakeholders about the project goals. 

Don't limit your communication to people within your department. You can reach out to people in other departments like sales, operations, finance, etc., to see how well your goals align with theirs. 

To give your team a better understanding, you can communicate your project goals in a variety of ways, including:  

• Visuals (videos, images, charts, infographics, etc.)
• Verbal presentation
• Documentations

By doing that, you’re sure to get their valuable feedback, buy-in and commitment to the project. Plus, getting your team on board with your project plan will up your chances of successful execution.

2 Lay Out Your Project Plan  

Once you’ve set your goals, the next big step is to outline how you'll achieve them. An excellent place to start is by organizing your project into an actionable plan and steps for execution. 

You might wonder why this step is important for creating a successful project presentation. 

Whether you’re planning a small or big project, writing a detailed plan, structure and layout puts everything into perspective. It eliminates vagueness and helps your audience grasp the project roadmap without missing the points.

Your project plan should contain the technical and non-technical project details. Therefore, you want to give yourself an edge by using a project presentation template that clearly explains all the activities and steps. 

Not only that, your presentation structure should be simple and easy to follow.

Depending on the project type, your plan could include key details such as:

• The goals and objectives you've outlined earlier
• Your project scope, methodology and framework
• Project milestones, deliverable and acceptance criteria
• Project schedule and timelines 
• Resources and budget estimates, etc. 

There's no hard and fast rule for laying out your project plan. However, if you want to create a memorable plan that will keep your audience engaged, you could break it down into three parts, including:

Introduction

• Conclusion and key takeaways

Your introduction should provide a brief overview of what you’re going to talk about and why it’s relevant to your audience. You could start by writing down the project name and the executive summary. 

Think of your executive summary as an abridged version of the project plan. 

If your audience read only your executive summary, would they have all the information they need about your project? If the answer is yes, your executive summary has served its purpose. 

The length of your executive summary will depend on what you intend to cover in your project plan.  However, we recommend keeping your executive summary one or two pages long.

You can include key information such as:

• Objectives of the project
• Key points of the project plan 
• Results, conclusions and project recommendations

Keep in mind that not everyone will have the time to dive into the details of your project plan.  

Having a snapshot of your project brings clarity to key stakeholders and collaborators. It also enables people who aren't actively involved in the project to understand it at a glance. 

Ready to create your own presentation in minutes?

• Add your own text, images and more
• Customize colors, fonts and everything else
• Choose from hundreds of slide designs and templates
• Add interactive buttons and animations

The body of your project plan is where you have the full project details and everything relevant to its success.

Here you can break your project into deliverables, tasks, milestones and schedules (start and end dates). 

Ensure you precisely define the resources you need to complete the project, including finances, team, time, technology, physical resources and more.

This is the part where you sum up your project plan with key takeaways. Your conclusion should include what you expect from your audience, including key action points and next steps.

Writing your intro, body and conclusion may sound like a lot of information. But instead of writing multiple pages of text, incorporating visuals can make your project presentations more effective.

By using images, videos, infographics and charts , you can capture all the vital information and help your audience understand your message better. 

Visme presentation templates are effective for visualizing different sections of your project plan. They are professionally designed and easy for anyone to craft high-quality project plans that keep their team on track. 

Use the project plan templates below to kickstart your project planning process.

3 Outline the Problem and Solution

You've just spent time crafting your project action plan. Now it’s time to communicate your project plan and goals with your audience.  

Project presentations are a lot like sales pitches. Whether you’re presenting your project plan to clients or creating a pitch deck for investors, your job is to keep your audience hooked right from the start till the end.

One of the most potent ways of grabbing your audience's attention is by highlighting their pain points. 

It’s not enough to have beautiful slides that showcase your amazing product features and project activities. 

Make sure you set up your project presentation to:

• Outline your audience pain points
• Emphasize how your project, product or service works to address their pain points
• Explain how they’ll benefit from using your product or investing in your project

In a nutshell, your audience should have a clear insight into how your project makes their life better. When they’re clear on this, they’ll most likely listen to the solutions you bring to the table and take the desired action.

Don’t make sweeping assumptions about your audience. 

If you’re looking to get them on board, dedicate a slide to discuss their problems and solutions. Make them understand how your project benefits them.

Not sure what your audience's pain points are? Go ahead and do these things:

• Run a persona survey or interview existing customers. This will help you build a data-driven user persona that you can use for all types of business and marketing decisions.
• Talk to your customer support and success team. They have close relationships with your customers, so they know their challenges and what they want. If they don’t know these things, do them a favor and create a customer success program . 
• Interact with your community, ask for feedback and involvement. The more you engage with your consumers, the more you understand their challenges, work toward solving and get them invested in your brand.
• Keeping an eye on relevant social media trends,  Twitter hashtags, Facebook trends 
• Join relevant online forums like Quora, Reddit, Stack Exchange, etc. 

RELATED: How to Write an Effective Presentation Outline

4 Keep Your Presentation Slides Short

When creating project presentations, prioritize quality over quantity. Be sure to keep your slides short and simple. When you do this, your audience will be glad you value their time. 

Remember, this isn’t the time to slam your audience with lengthy and irrelevant jargon. Instead, keep your slides on topics and hit the main points without the boring and unnecessary details.

Here’s why you need to keep your presentation brief:

• Concise presentation slides are not only powerful, but they are also memorable.
• Studies have shown that during project or business presentations, attention levels drop sharply after 30 minutes . By creating lengthy presentations, you risk losing your audience's attention halfway. 
• Nobody wants to sit and watch you flip tons of slides for hours. With shorter slides, you can capture your audience's attention and get them to focus on the message.
• Most people might have limited time or have short attention spans. So they’d want to quickly digest information and move on to the next best thing. 

How do you keep your project presentations short? 

• If your slide doesn’t add value to your presentation, it shouldn’t earn a spot on your deck.
• Supercharge your slide deck with captivating visuals that capture more information 
• Adopt proven methods for preparing your slide

For example, the 10/20/30 rule by Guy Kawasaki is one of the most popular methods used by experts. The rule recommends using ten slides for 20 minutes presentations (about two minutes per slide). It also specifies using a font size of at least 30 for text.

This will enable your audience to digest the messages on your screen while you’re talking. 

Keep in mind that this isn’t an iron-clad rule for presentation. There are other rules such as Pecha Kucha method , Takahashi method, Lessig method, etc. You can adapt any of these rules to suit your project presentation needs.

5 Use Less Text and More Visuals 

Another great way to keep your slides brief yet interesting is using less text and more visuals. 

Remember, your slide should aid your verbal presentation and not replace it. So you want to avoid crowding too much information on one slide. 

Cluttering your presentation with too much text could: 

• Overwhelm your audiences and bore them
• Shift your audience's attention to the text, making your presentation less effective.

Instead, use one slide to present each idea. Marketing guru Seth Godin recommends no more than six words per slide .

People retain more information when it’s presented in bite-size chunks and visuals. This applies to B2B, B2C audiences, project managers and corporate executives.

About 59% of business executives say they’d rather watch a video about a topic than read about it. Hence the need to supercharge your project presentation with compelling visuals that capture and bring your audience’s attention right where you want it. 

Steve Jobs’ MacWorld Keynote presentation in 2007 is an excellent example of how to enhance your presentation with compelling visuals. 

During the presentation, Steve Jobs used live and interactive visuals to show how the iPhone 1 works. 

Read on to learn more tips on creating engaging presentations that will wow your audience. 

With Visme's presentation maker , you can make stunning project presentations with a rich blend of text and compelling visuals. Hook your audience and inspire action with stellar project presentation templates like the one below. 

6 Use Quality Visuals, Diagrams and Presentation Aids

Visuals are important for making successful project presentations. Beyond grabbing the audience’s attention and keeping them engaged, viewers recall 95% of a message when presented in visual form. But when shared via text, they retain only about 10%. 

There are many types of visual aids you can use in your presentations, including:

• Graphs and charts
• Heat and choropleth maps
• Scatter plots 
• Screenshots and more

Using images and videos will up your chances of getting audience engagements and positive responses to your call-to-action (CTA).  

Gantt charts , whiteboard drawings and mind maps are ideal for visualizing early-stage project designs. You can use charts, diagrams, maps and trees to present the project architecture for technology-related projects. 

If you’re working on product development projects, consider adding sketches, flowcharts , models and prototypes to your slide. 

Pie charts are excellent for showing percentages. Vertical bar charts indicate changes over time, while horizontal bar charts help you compare quantities. 

Infographics are perfect for visualizing data and explaining complex information like market trends.

Here’s the interesting part. Visme has the tools you need for every job. The software allows you to add different visuals, infographics, charts and graphs to your deck and customize them to suit your needs. 

You can change design, text and background colors, add or remove legends, animate charts, etc. 

You can also use maps to represent geographic information. Or, use progress bars, thermometers, radials and widgets to visualize stats and figures as shown in the template below.

When adding visuals to your slide, don’t go overboard. Stick to a minimum of two images per slide. In addition, make sure your visuals are relevant to your project presentation.

While designing your presentation slides , always stick to high-quality visuals.  Blurry or low-resolution images or videos can be a major turn-off for viewers. 

With high-quality visuals, your presentations will be crisp and clear, even on large screens. 

The slide below is an excellent example of how to power your presentations with compelling visuals.

7 Pay Attention to Design 

Want to create impressive presentations that pop? If the answer is yes, you need to pay attention to your design details. Your design can make or break your project presentation. 

Whether you are an experienced designer or a novice, design tools like Visme give you an edge. You can create compelling presentation designs for your business in a few minutes.

The beautiful thing is that you don’t have to break the bank to make stunning project presentations. You'll find beautiful ready-made templates and millions of stunning royalty-free images for your slides. 

Here are tips you should consider while designing your slides.

Use the Right Color Combination 

If you want to make your presentations appealing, use color moderately. 

We get it; everyone loves color. But using too many colors can make your presentations look chaotic and unpleasant.

Your color choice can influence how your audience grasps and responds to your presentation. A general rule of thumb is to pick colors that evoke positive emotions in your audience. 

For example, warm colors like yellow, orange and red convey feelings of excitement and positivity. On the other hand, cool colors (blue, green and violet) reflect an aura of calmness. 

When combining colors, aim for a balanced color scheme. For example, if your slide or image background is dark, your text and design elements should have bright colors. This contrast will make your project presentation legible and visually appealing.

You can learn about color psychology and how to use it in your next presentation design by watching the video below. 

Use Clear and Consistent Typography 

Optimizing your typography can make a difference in how people perceive your message. So you want to make sure your slide looks organized, professional and sends the right message. 

Here’s how you can make this happen:

• Use fonts that embody the spirit of your brand
• Keep your text styles consistent throughout your presentation. We recommend you stick to a maximum of three fonts.
• Avoid fancy fonts and tiny text that strain the reader's eyes. Rather use fonts like Arial, Time News Roman, Calibri and other legible fonts suited for small and large screens. 
• Use a font size of at least 30 for the body text and 36 for titles.

In addition, remember to present your text using the color scheme we mentioned earlier. This will keep your text visible over your background. 

Take a look at this slide from one of our presentation templates. Notice how the design, fonts and color combination blends in to make the visuals pop. 

8 Start With a Presentation Template

Whether you’re a newbie or pro, creating project presentations that pack a punch can be time-consuming.

Let’s say you’ve got a deadline looming. You’d have to deal with writing your project outline, preparing your slide notes, designing your slides, sourcing and incorporating visuals and more. 

Handling these things from scratch could slow you down or make your presentations untidy. 

Using presentation templates could save you from all the stress. They help you make professional-looking project presentations fast and easy.

Since the slides are pre-designed, you’ll find a place to insert every possible piece of content you need. Be it a progress bar, chart, graph, table, video or image, the design is right there. 

All you need to do is type your content, input data or insert the image. And boom, your presentation is ready to go. 

In addition, using presentation templates offers brand consistency in terms of font, style, layout, colors and overall design. You can customize and share templates with your project team to keep your presentations uniform. 

The title and main body slide, image and chart layout and fonts are set in the template. Therefore formatting your slide becomes a breeze—no more messy or cluttered project presentations. 

Visme has a wide selection of templates designed to make your presentations shine. You’ll find millions of pixel-perfect graphics, icons, design elements and professionally designed templates for any purpose, industry and project type. 

Regardless of your skill level, you can customize your templates like the one below. Just add your content and your project presentations will be ready in a few minutes. 

9 Present Your Project Like a Pro

If you follow all the tips we shared above, you’ve probably got the perfect project presentation on paper.  Great stuff, but your job isn’t done yet. 

Your delivery is the final piece of the puzzle, and you’ve got to make it count. 

Here’s the thing. Your presentation could flop if the delivery isn’t convincing. Hence the need to plan your delivery and drive your message across with passion and enthusiasm. 

Here's how to deliver project presentations that leave an impact.

Practice Makes Perfect 

Did you know that Steve Jobs used to spend two days prepping for presentations? Yes, you read that right. 

Practice is one of the key steps to nailing your delivery. 

You can practice by reading out loud in your quiet space. While you’re at it, make audio and video recordings and watch them repeatedly.

Ask your friends and colleagues to serve as a test audience and give feedback on your presentation.

This run-through will help ensure your presentation captures the main points within the allotted time. It will also help you maintain the correct body posture during your project presentation. 

Make time to check if the equipment is working and get familiar with the settings and operations. This is especially important if you plan to use video or audio in your slides.

Start With a Strong Opening 

Your audiences could have short attention spans, so make those first moments count. With solid openings, you can hook your audience and set the mood for a successful presentation. 

Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement speech at Stanford is an excellent example of having a solid opening. With over 4 million views on YouTube, it’s one of the most memorable and watched speeches in history.

Notice how he hooks the audience with powerful anecdotes about his life, beginning from dropping out of college. And then, he goes on to share the lessons he learned in his early days at Apple, losing his job in 1985 and reflections on death. 

Here’s how to make an excellent opening speech that grabs the audience’s attention and convinces them you’re worth listening to:

• Ask a question
• Tell a compelling story
• Share mind-blowing facts and statistics
• Show captivating video and visuals that spark curiosity 
• Open your presentation with humor 

Be sure to tailor your opening hook to your audience. To make this effective, it’d help to know about your audiences, including their likes, dislikes, cultural and ethical dispositions, etc.

If you want to learn more about making captivating presentation openings and more, read our guide on starting a presentation .

While presenting your project, focus on your audience’s needs. By doing this, you’ll build an emotional connection and drive action. 

However, don’t go overboard. Be genuine and focus on getting the points across to them. This way, you’ll gain their trust and build excitement about your project. 

Keep in mind that everything may not go as planned. It’s best to have backup materials and be flexible enough to make necessary adjustments. Preparing for unexpected events will give you more control over them.

End Your Presentation on a High Note

After you've delivered a fantastic presentation, make sure you wrap it up in a memorable way. Doing this will leave a lasting impression and nudge your audiences to take action. 

One way to end your project presentation is to use a powerful call to action. 

You can also tell memorable stories, summarize the main points and highlight compelling figures about the project. 

For example you can mention some really intriguing figures like: 

• Expected growth rate, return on investment and profit margin
• Potential company valuation in the next five to ten years. 
• Projected earnings and market position etc. 

The goal is to hype your audiences and stimulate them to take action.  

You can check out our other article to learn more about ending your presentation on a great note. 

Get To Work: Create Powerful Project Presentations With Visme

Creating a successful project presentation starts with setting your goals and having a clear plan to achieve them. It also requires crafting compelling content, paying attention to design and excellent delivery.  

If you’re going to close those deals, you need a solid pitch deck to explain your project details and why it will succeed. We recommend using an intuitive project presentation software like Visme . 

Visme is the perfect design tool for creating stunning and engaging project presentations .  With Visme, you’ll have access to a wide range of features and tools to help bring your project ideas to life.  

The tool has hundreds of presentation templates, design elements, font styles, built-in stock images and videos, data visualization tools and more to make your project presentation a hit.  You can download your design in different formats and share it across multiple social media channels. 

Now you have all the tips and tools for nailing your next project presentations. Go ahead and make it memorable with Visme's project presentation software.

Create beautiful presentations faster with Visme.

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About the Author

Unenabasi is a content expert with many years of experience in digital marketing, business development, and strategy. He loves to help brands tell stories that drive engagement, growth, and competitive advantage. He’s adept at creating compelling content on lifestyle, marketing, business, e-commerce, and technology. When he’s not taking the content world by storm, Unenabasi enjoys playing or watching soccer.

How to Improve Your Presentation Skills: 11 Practical Tips

• The Speaker Lab
• August 15, 2024

Table of Contents

Have you ever felt your heart racing just before stepping onto a stage? That’s presentation anxiety knocking. But how do you beat it? One solution is to improve your presentation skills . By honing your abilities, you achieve greater confidence in yourself. You see, great public speakers are made through practice, and lots of it. Knowing your subject inside out matters, as does understanding who you’re talking to.

This journey doesn’t start at the podium or end at the applause. It begins much earlier, in how we prepare our minds and material for that spotlight moment. To keep an audience hanging on every word requires more than good content alone. Body language speaks volumes too. So, it’s crucial to master both your verbal and nonverbal cues. This approach guarantees your message resonates deeply with all present.

Understanding the Importance of Presentation Skills

Presentation skills go beyond merely standing and speaking before an audience. They embody the essence of engaging and connecting with others. As it turns out, being able to connect with people in this way is an invaluable skill worth having. From convincing a potential new client to sharing knowledge with peers, presenting helps you get key ideas across. But here’s the kicker: it’s not only about what you say but how you say it that counts. While such finesse comes naturally to some, others need a bit of practice before they can nail it. But that’s why we’re here—to help you out.

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Mastering the Basics of Effective Presentations

Grasping the fundamentals can elevate a decent presentation to one that’s memorable. Let’s break it down.

Knowing Your Subject and Audience

Before you give your presentation, you first have to know who you’re talking to and what you’re talking about. It sounds simple because it is. But don’t let that simplicity fool you—it’s also where the magic happens. Dive deep into your topic and become the expert they expect you to be. As for your audience? Find a way to connect your presentation to them as individuals. Consider why your topic might be important to them. If you can get your topic to hit home with your audience, it’s much more likely that they’ll be impacted by what you say.

Using Open, Friendly Body Language

Our body language allows us to speak volumes without ever saying a word. So when you’re on stage, use open gestures, keep those arms uncrossed, and maintain a pleasant demeanor. Move around if space allows; make yourself bigger than just the spot behind the podium. Frequently make eye contact with the crowd instead of just looking at your notes or slides. Lastly, use gestures to complement your words, emphasizing key points.

Practicing for Perfection

When preparing for your presentation, rehearse until those nerves start feeling like excitement instead of sheer terror. Out of all presentation skills, this is perhaps one of the most important to improve. Even rehearsing in the outfit you’ll wear on presentation day can help you practice the right mindset you need. Whether or not you rewrite your script as bullet points, make sure you’re not reading off your notes. After all, you want to maintain a natural, conversational tone with your audience, not a robotic one. Before you begin your talk, breathe deeply. Not only does grounding yourself help calm your nerves, it actually improves your voice quality .

Designing Engaging Presentations

Every speaker wants to engage their audience. As a result, the ability to design engaging presentations is one skill that’s worth constantly improving. It’s all about balance, blending engaging content with sleek design.

Keeping Your Presentation Engaging and Structured

Every speaker would agree that maintaining audience interest is crucial. But how exactly do you do that? It takes a lot to focus on your presentation  and your audience at the same time. To get started, try some of these techniques.

• Tell a story: Weave your facts into a narrative because everyone loves a good tale.
• Vary the pace: Mix it up with videos, anecdotes, or jokes to keep things fresh.
• Pose questions: Asking rhetorical questions keeps minds ticking and engaged.

Maintaining structure is key. You want to guide your audience through smoothly, making sure they’re following along every step of the way. Think of it as taking them on a journey where each point builds upon the last until you reach a compelling conclusion together.

Simplicity in Slide Design

If there’s one thing you don’t want to impose on your audience, it’s a cluttered slide. So what should you to improve this presentation skill? Take a look at these tips:

• Keep it simple: A simple background with high contrast text can work wonders.
• Leverage visuals wisely: If you’re talking numbers, opt for an infographic instead of listing out stats one after another. Visuals should enhance understanding, not confuse further. Make sure they’re relevant.
• Use bullet points: Cover one idea per slide and use bullet points to break it down. This isn’t just easier for your audience to digest; it gives each point its moment in the spotlight.

The trick here is to avoid just throwing your entire presentation onto slides. That’s what leads to clutter. Instead, focus on the key points you want to communicate, and create visual summaries that complement what you’re saying. Good presentation design matters. And sometimes less really is more when helping people understand complex topics easily. For more on creating PowerPoint presentations, check out our article here .

Mastering Nonverbal Communication

As a speaker, it’s a given that your words are a vital part of your presentation. But what about your nonverbal cues? Believe it or not, those are just as important. And don’t forget tone—delivery is often where the real magic happens.

Improving Eye Contact

For instance, take eye contact. Making eye contact with your audience demonstrates confidence and professionalism. The trick is striking the balance: too little, and you seem disengaged; too much, and it’s just awkward for everyone involved. To improve this presentation skills, practice finding that balance. Aim to make brief but meaningful eye contact with different parts of your audience throughout your presentation. A general rule of thumb is the 50/70 rule , which says to spend about 50% of your time making eye contact when speaking, bumping it up to 70% when listening or answering questions.

Avoiding Filled Pauses When Speaking

The bane of any speaker’s presentation is a slew of filler words. These are words like “um,” “uh,” and “like.” These filler sounds typically sneak into our speech because we’re nervous or trying to think on our feet. To avoid them, practice pausing with purpose in between sentences or thoughts. Silence may feel scary, but using intentional pauses can give you time to think and keeps listeners hanging onto your next word. In addition, never forget to taking deep breaths. Doing so will help calm the nerves that are triggering those verbal fillers in the first place.

By improving these presentation skills, you’ll not only boost how others perceive you, but also how confidently you carry yourself through every slide.

Overcoming Presentation Anxiety

Feeling like a bundle of nerves before you hit the stage? If so, you’re not alone. But guess what? That jittery feeling doesn’t have to be your enemy.

Techniques to Calm Nerves During a Presentation

We’ve all been there—heart racing, palms sweaty, mind blanking out just when you need it most. It feels like your body is betraying you right at the crucial moment. Thankfully, it’s entirely possible to regain control by redirecting that nervous energy. To calm yourself, try some of these techniques.

• Breathe deeply: It seems simple, but deep breaths are like a reset button for your nervous system.
• Ground yourself: Feel your feet on the ground. Literally grounding yourself in reality helps shift focus back from fear to action.
• The power pose: Standing in a posture of confidence can actually make you feel more confident thanks to some nifty brain-body communication.
• Embrace silence: If you lose track during your presentation, use this time not as an awkward pause but as an intentional break for both you and your audience.

By practicing these techniques and improving them before your presentation, they will come more naturally. Plus, the more you prepare, the fewer surprises you’ll encounter, which means less fodder for anxiety.

Transforming Nervous Energy into Enthusiasm

Nervous energy isn’t bad—it shows you care. Mastering the art involves channeling that untamed vigor into a force of zeal.

• Talk about what you love: You naturally become more animated and enthusiastic when discussing topics close to your heart.
• Harness the adrenaline rush: This rush pushes us beyond our usual boundaries, so don’t be afraid to use it. Speak louder than normal if needed or move around more freely (if appropriate).
• Redefine success: Focus on connecting with at least one person rather than impressing everyone—that takes off loads of pressure.

In essence, presentation skills aren’t just about speaking well. They’re about managing emotions effectively so they don’t manage us. So next time those butterflies start fluttering in your stomach before a big presentation, remember it’s all part of the process. Embrace the experience and use it to fuel your performance rather than let it derail you.

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Continually Improving Presentation Skills

The journey to becoming a presentation pro never really ends. Embarking on this path means consistently challenging oneself, exploring new depths, and setting sights on ever-higher achievements.

Seeking Feedback for Improvement

Let’s talk feedback. Although it might sting at first, feedback is a great way to improve your presentation skills. After every presentation, ask your audience what hit home and what missed the mark. But don’t stop there.

• Talk to a mentor: Someone who’s been where you are can give insights you hadn’t even considered.
• Solicit anonymous feedback: Sometimes people speak more freely when they’re not face-to-face.
• Use online tools: There are platforms designed specifically for gathering and analyzing presentation feedback efficiently.

Volunteering for Presentations to Gain Experience

If practice makes perfect, then volunteering is your practice arena. Seizing each moment as a platform can really polish your expertise.

• Pitch new ideas at work: Be the one who steps up during meetings with fresh insights or project proposals.
• Dive into community events: Local clubs or groups often seek speakers on various topics—perfect for testing out different styles and formats.
• Become a webinar host: This lets you play with technology while practicing how best to engage virtual attendees.

Remember, improving your public speaking skills takes time. But by consistently seeking out constructive criticism and grabbing every chance to get in front of an audience ,  you’re paving your way towards mastery. So take that deep breath, keep your head high, and take that stage. Your future self will thank you.

So there you have it. Together, we’ve learned how to improve presentation skills. This isn’t just about shaking off those stage jitters; it’s an expedition towards becoming a masterful storyteller who captivates every soul in the room.

Embarking on this journey, we dove headfirst into mastering basics like knowing your audience and subject. Plus, we covered tips on keeping slides simple yet engaging—a fine balance between clutter and clarity. And let’s not forget our silent but potent ally: nonverbal communication—where eye contact and body language can help engage your audience.

Anxiety had its moment under our microscope as well. Turns out, it’s less about fighting nerves and more about channeling them into electrifying enthusiasm.

Improving your presentation skills requires persistence—and lots of practice. The process isn’t just a path but an ongoing adventure that challenges us to grow and adapt in our quest for meaningful impact.

• Last Updated: August 6, 2024

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How To Make Your PowerPoint Interactive: A Complete Guide

Are your audience being idle throughout your presentation? Do you want to know how to make a PowerPoint interactive?  An interactive presentation will help you to make the inactive audience into active participants. You can use interactive elements to keep your audience engaged. Above all, an interactive PowerPoint presentation will give a dynamic and interesting experience for both the presenter and the audience. Whether you’re presenting in a classroom, a boardroom, or a conference hall, interactive presentations will help to get a better experience.   

 This guide will explain the different aspects of making your PowerPoint presentation interactive. You can learn what makes a PowerPoint presentation interactive, and tips to make the presentation more interactive and engaging. We have covered everything you need to know to make your next presentation a success. 

Table of Contents

• What is an Interactive PowerPoint? 

Advantages of Interactive PowerPoints

• Enhancing Understanding 
• Participation 
• Know Your Audience  
• Setting Clear Goals 
• Use Animations   
• 3D Elements  
• Triggered Animations  
• Non-Linear Slide Navigation  
• PowerPoint Morph Transition  

Live Quizzes

• Running Polls  

Brainstorming Sessions

• Draggable Objects  

Creating Interactive Games

• Gathering Feedback   
• Data Visualization  
• Key Takeaways 
• Tips for Continuous Improvement  

What is an Interactive PowerPoint?

An interactive PowerPoint is a presentation that includes elements that allow audience participation and engagement. It can be animations, live polls, interactive charts, and other features that make the audience an active part of the presentation. Moreover, static presentations and interactive PowerPoints utilize non-linear navigation, allowing the presenter to adapt the flow of the presentation based on audience input and interaction. 

Why Make Your Presentation Interactive?

Interactive presentations help to engage your audience more effectively than traditional presentations. By using interactive elements that promote audience participation, you can keep the audience focused, make the presentation memorable, and create a dynamic and engaging experience. 

How do I make my PowerPoint engaging? To make your PowerPoint engaging, use interactive elements like animations, quizzes, polls, and multimedia to actively involve your audience and maintain their interest throughout the presentation.

Interactive PowerPoints will help you to improve audience engagement in your presentation. You can use polls, quizzes to engage your audience as active rather than passive listeners. This interaction and engagement will lead to better retention and presentation experience. 

Enhancing Understanding

Audience interaction with the presentation will help you make the complex information more understandable. You can use interactive elements like animations and 3D models to illustrate your message more clearly. 

Participation

An interactive PowerPoint presentation also encourages audience participation. You can use discussion prompts which can lead your audience to ask questions to make the environment more collaborative. 

How To Create Interactive PowerPoint – Things to Remember

To make your PowerPoint interactive, include elements such as clickable links, live polls, quizzes, and non-linear navigation that could help in improving audience participation and engagement. Also try the use of animations, 3D models, and games to make your presentation dynamic.  

Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is the first and most important part of creating an interactive PowerPoint. Customize elements to retain their interest, knowledge levels, and preferences. And that could make your presentation to be the most relevant and engaging for your audience.  

Setting Clear Goals

Next, set the exact goal of the presentation that you need to achieve. No matter what the presentation is about. It could be to educate or entertain, but having a clear goal and objective will help in selecting the most appropriate elements to use in the presentation design to engage your audience. 

How Do You Make an Interactive PowerPoint – Pre-Presentation Tips

How do you add an interactive element to a presentation? To add an interactive element to a presentation, use the help of features like clickable links quizzes, polls, animations with triggers, or non-linear slide navigation in your PowerPoint slides. These elementsengage your audience and enhance their participation throughout the presentation.

Use Animations

Animations can bring your slides to life, but it’s essential to use them wisely. Overusing animations can be distracting and reduce the effectiveness of your presentation. Instead, use animations to highlight key points, illustrate concepts, and maintain audience interest.  

Animations will help you to make your slides more impressive but don’t overload them. Overusing animations will distract the audience. Use animations to highlight key points and showcase concepts, to keep audience retention.   

3D Elements

The use of 3D elements helps to make your presentation visually impressive and interesting, and it could also explain complex ideas in digestive form. It is possible to insert editable 3D models in PowerPoint to provide a more interesting experience for your audience. PowerPoint offers stock 3D elements and also you could use elements from external sources.  

Triggered Animations

Another interesting feature is triggered animations which occur when anyone interacts with a specific element in the presentation. It could be a button, image, or any other. These triggered animations will help you to pop up additional pieces of information, get feedback on quizzes, or navigate into the different sections of the presentation.  

Non-Linear Slide Navigation

Non-linear slide navigation helps you to jump to different slides based on audience input. This could help to make your presentation more flexible and responsive to the audience. Use hyperlinks or action buttons to create a non-linear navigational flow.  

PowerPoint Morph Transition

The Morph transition in PowerPoint helps to create a seamless animation from one slide to another, making it look like objects moving within the same slide itself. This could be used to create engaging visuals and smooth transitions, keeping your audience’s attention. 

How to Create an Interactive PowerPoint Presentation – During Presentation Tips

Live quizzes can be a fun and engaging way to make your presentation more interactive. It can also be used to test your audience’s knowledge and reinforce key points. You can use tools like Kahoot and Mentimeter which can be integrated into your Microsoft PowerPoint to conduct real-time quizzes and display results instantly.  

Running Polls

Polls can gauge audience opinions, collect feedback, and make your presentation more and more interactive. Tools like Slido or Poll Everywhere help to run polls during your presentation and show live results on your slides.  

Brainstorming sessions by using tools like virtual whiteboards and collaborative documents will make your PowerPoint presentation interactive and engaging. Encourage your audience to contribute ideas, discuss topics, and participate in problem-solving activities with the help of these brainstorming sessions.  

Draggable Objects

As PowerPoint doesn’t have a prebuilt feature supporting draggable elements, you can use third-party tools like iSpring Suite to create drag and drop feature in your presentation. 

Games will surely help to make your presentation more engaging and fun. You can add simple games like trivia, puzzles, or interactive stories to keep your audience entertained and involved.  

How To Create an Interactive Presentation – Post-Presentation Tips

Gathering feedback.

Getting feedback after your presentation will help you understand what worked well and what you need to improve. You can use polls and surveys to collect audience opinions and suggestions that could help in delivering your next presentation.  

Data Visualization

Interactive data visualizations allow the audience to explore data and information in more detail. Interactive charts and graphs are the best tools to present your data in a more engaging and informative way. Try them. 

Summary and Best Practices

Key takeaways.

Now you have learned how to make PowerPoint Interactive. Interactive PowerPoint presentations will enhance the audience’s engagement, understanding, and participation. Use interactive elements to create a more dynamic and memorable presentation.  

Tips for Continuous Improvement

• Experiment with Different Tools : Try new interactive tools and features to find what works best for the audience and your presentation.  
• Practice : Always practice well and make sure you are comfortable with all interactive elements and tools before your presentation.  
• Gather Feedback : Collect feedback and use them to continually improve your presentations and make them more effective. 

At SlideBazaar, we help you create engaging and memorable presentations. Choose from our collection of professional templates or opt for our custom design services for a personalized touch. Your presentations deserve to be elevated to new heights, and we’re here to help you achieve just that!

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How did Raygun qualify for the Olympics? Is she really the best Australia has to offer?

By Mawunyo Gbogbo

ABC Entertainment

Topic: Olympic Games

Rachael "Raygun" Gunn did not score a single point at the Paris Olympics. ( Getty Images: Elsa )

Since Australian breaker Rachael "Raygun" Gunn failed to score a single point in any of her Olympic bouts, many have asked how she qualified for the Games.

Fellow breaker and anthropologist Lucas Marie says she won her qualification "fair and square" last year, but African American man Malik Dixon has criticised the Olympic body for letting her in.

What's next?

Breaking will not be an event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games — a decision made before Raygun's performance.

The 2024 Paris Olympics marked breaking's debut as a sport at the global event, with 36-year-old lecturer and breaker Rachael "Raygun" Gunn representing Australia for the first time.

Having failed to win a single point in any of her Olympic bouts, Raygun quickly became a viral sensation.

The question on many people's minds now is: How did she even qualify?

Lucas Marie is a breaker who has competed, performed, taught and judged breaking competitions over the past 25 years. He's also an anthropologist who recently co-authored an article with Gunn.

He says the answer to that question is simple.

Lucas Marie recently co-authored an article with Raygun. ( Supplied )

"There was an Oceania qualifier in which any B-boy or B-girl from Australia [or] New Zealand could enter, and that was in Sydney in October 2023," he told ABC News.

"And leading up to that, there were a lot of other events in which breakers were competing.

"She won those battles fair and square and won the qualification in Sydney.

"And it wasn't really a surprise to anyone. 

"She's been fairly consistent, winning or coming second or third at a lot of breaking events in Australia for the last five to 10 years."

Marie said there was nothing out of the ordinary about Raygun's performance.

"It's not like gymnastics where there's this kind of agreed-upon standard," he said.

"It's always had a rawness to it. It's always had an improvisational kind of quality. And I think looking different and trying different stuff has always been celebrated.

"And I think Raygun, in a way, was just expressing a core kind of hip hop trait in a way a lot of breakers do."

He described her efforts as bold.

"I thought — and this is how I judge a lot of breaking events — I thought, 'Oh, she's making some really interesting choices to mimic Australian animals.' And you can kind of see the choices that she's making in the moment."

Is she the best Australia has to offer?

Team Australia chef de mission Anna Meares insisted after Raygun's performance that she was the best breaker the country had to offer. But is this true?

Lucas Marie has competed, performed, taught and judged breaking competitions for more than 25 years. ( Supplied: momentsby.naz )

"It's sometimes just who's performing better on the day," Marie said.

"And at the qualification event in which she won, and other events in which she's won, she performed better on that day and won the ticket.

"That doesn't mean she's the best. It doesn't really work like that.

"I think she's a great breaker. She won the qualification. She's won other events in the past, and she was a good representative for Australia at that competition."

Asked whether there were B-girls in Perth, regional Victoria or rural Brisbane who might have qualified but could not afford to travel to Sydney for the tryouts, Marie agreed this was possible.

"Of course, there's breakers all over the country that maybe should have been in that event, but they weren't."

Breaking will not carry over to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, a decision made before Raygun's battle.

Marie described this as sad.

"Maybe, based on the ratings, they'll reassess that and maybe allocate some medals to breaking," he said.

"I really hope that's the case, and I hope that for other breakers who want to compete in it as a dance sport."

Marie said that at the end of the day people should remember they were dealing with a human.

"As a friend of Rachael's, there's a human being who's getting a lot of negative attention," he said.

"I think people kind of miss that sometimes and forget the human aspect of all this."

'Toying with the culture'

Malik Dixon is an African American who has been living in Australia for more than a decade and is a Sydney University graduate.

He said Raygun made a total "mockery" out of breaking at the Olympics.

Malik Dixon says too many people feel entitled to African American culture. ( Supplied )

"She was dressed like a member of the cricket team or an Australian PE teacher, and from that point it just seemed like satire," Mr Dixon told ABC News.

"It just looked like somebody who was toying with the culture and didn't know how culturally significant it was being the first time in the Olympics and just how important it was to people who really cherish hip hop and one of the elements of hip hop, which is breakdancing.

"It made me think, was Borat her breakdancing coach?"

Mr Dixon said too many people felt entitled to African American culture.

"The African American space has been one where we've shared our community so much and without any restraints, any barriers, roadblocks, obstacles, any gatekeepers, that essentially what should have been African American cultural capital is just shared, which is cool," he said. 

"We like to share, right? 

"We shared 400 years of free labour.

"To see Rachael in her attempt to be a part of the culture just be grossly underwhelming made it seem like she didn't take it seriously."

Olympics body criticised for Raygun qualification

Mr Dixon criticised the body that qualified Raygun, saying she devalued breaking with her performance.

"Whatever governing body nominated her as Australia's entrant into the Olympics either did not understand the assignment or didn't really believe in the integrity or significance of breakdancing, because if they did they would just say, rather than disrespect the culture, we're just not ready to send an applicant this year."

He said Raygun was extremely audacious and not self-aware.

"You've got to know your role, know your position, know your limitation," he said. 

"And I think that part of privilege is saying that there are no limits to what I can do. 

"Part of privilege is having the authority to say that there are no limits and there are no requirements, there are no prerequisites to what I can do."

Raygun's degrees do not hold much water with Mr Dixon.

"Due to consumerism, this Foundational Black American product, which is hip hop, is global," he said.

"And even people who have no connection to any African Americans or any local or regional things that come out in these songs, they have become a part of the whole experience now.

"If I came in and said that I was an authority on Greek music and I was going against the grain of what the mainstream Greek musicians thought, or the school of thought, and I've said that I was the authority, people would check me on that.

"If I had a PhD in sprinting, does that qualify me to go against Noah Lyles? No, it doesn't."

He also doubts Raygun was the best breaker Australia had to offer.

"[There's] got to be somebody out here that's better than that! The kangaroo! The sprinkler! She did the sprinkler out there, man!" he said.

Should everybody just lighten up?

Should we lighten up? Mr Dixon does not believe so.

"Larrikinism is used as a get-out-of-jail-free card and to escape responsibility of how words or actions impact a hurt person," he said.

"But when the majority culture is offended, there's no playing around.

"This is a part of my culture, and I don't think Australians are in a place to tell me how I should feel about breakdancing being mocked on an international stage.

"People who don't have any or limited access to black people or hip hop culture now may see Rachael and her buffoonery as a representation of hip hop and black culture.

"People who were already side-eyeing breakdancing as an Olympic sport, Rachael Gunn has put the nail in that coffin.

"This might be the most viral clip of the whole Olympics. From a comedy standpoint, she's got it, but from an Olympics perspective, its regressive."

President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian troops are advancing deeper into Russia's Kursk region as part of a surprise incursion launched nine days ago

He says a military administration is being set up in the settlement of Sudzha

This comes as a UK source confirms to the BBC that British Challenger 2 tanks have been used in Ukraine's incursion into Russia

Meanwhile, Russia's defence minister says he is overseeing plans to "safeguard the border population", including by allocating more forces to the area

Moscow has insisted that it is pushing Ukrainian troops back, and claims to have retaken a settlement in the Kursk region

Live Reporting

Edited by Nathan Williams and Sophie Abdulla

What's happened today? published at 18:50 British Summer Time 15 August 18:50 BST 15 August

• A UK source has confirmed to the BBC that UK-donated Challenger 2 tanks have been used by Ukraine as part of its surprise incursion into Russia. The department reiterated that Ukraine had "a clear right" to use UK-supplied weapons to defend itself
• The policy means anti-tank missiles, artillery, armoured vehicles and other UK-donated weapons could be used during Ukraine's offensive. However, there is an exception for the UK's Storm Shadow missiles
• Meanwhile, President Zelensky says Ukrainian troops continue advancing deeper into Russia’s Kursk region as part of a surprise incursion, claiming "more than 80" settlements there were now under Ukrainian control
• A Ukrainian military administration was being set up in the biggest one of them - Sudzha - Zelensky said
• And in a post on Telegram, the Russian Ministry of Defence says a coordinating council has been set up to deal with military security in Russia’s Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions

Today's live coverage has now closed - read the latest in our main story here .

Russian Ministry of Defence says 'coordinating council' established published at 18:22 British Summer Time 15 August 18:22 BST 15 August

In a post on Telegram, the Russian Ministry of Defence says a coordinating council has been set up to deal with military security in Russia’s Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions, all of which border Ukraine.

The decision was announced by defence minister Andrei Belousov at a special meeting on border security, following Ukraine’s surprise incursion.

“Its purpose is to improve the efficiency of comprehensive support of the groups of forces, solving the tasks of protecting the state border, protection of the territory and population of the regions,” Belousov was quoted as telling the meeting.

In pictures: Evacuations from Russia's Belgorod region published at 18:08 British Summer Time 15 August 18:08 BST 15 August

As we previously reported, a federal level emergency has been declared in Russia's Belgorod region .

Belgorod is next to the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces crossed into Russia - an incursion that started over a week ago.

On Monday, 11,000 people were evacuated from the Krasnaya Yaruga district, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

Images show Russian citizens arriving at a railway station to travel to temporary accommodation centres in the Nevinnomyssk, Mineralnye Vody and Shpakovsky municipalities.

Ukrainian residents urged to evacuate eastern town as Russia closes in published at 17:37 British Summer Time 15 August 17:37 BST 15 August

Seven people were killed in August 2023 when the eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovski was shelled by Russian forces

Back in Ukraine residents, especially families are being urged to leave the Ukrainian-held town of Pokrovsk as Russian forces in the Donetsk region close in.

According to Ukrainian media, the head of the region's Pokrovsk military administration Serhiy Dobryak says the "enemy has almost reached the edge of our community".

Russian forces are "a bit more than 10km from the outskirts of Pokrovsk city", Dobryak says, adding that the "community and city were shelled", with critical private and residential infrastructure targeted.

"People are dying. So I am calling on you not to procrastinate and to evacuate. This particularly concerns families with children and the elderly."

Pokrovsk - about 70km (43 miles) north-west of Russian-held Donetsk city - has been the epicentre of intense fighting for months with Russian forces edging forward since October 2023.

Is Ukraine overplaying its hand? published at 17:15 British Summer Time 15 August 17:15 BST 15 August

With each day that Ukrainian forces remain inside Russia the risk increases that they could, conceivably, find themselves overwhelmed by superior force of numbers.

"The Russian army tends to move slowly," says a senior British defence source, "but once it cranks into gear it presents a sizable force."

Ukraine is critically short of manpower in this war and it certainly can't afford to lose some of its best remaining combat troops who have carried out this incursion so skilfully.

"The moment the Russians start redeploying some of their best troops in size to tackle this incursion, "says another senior British defence source, "that's the moment the Ukrainians need to withdraw back across the border."

Military experts reckon that after some early successes, Ukraine has made a number of costly strategic mistakes in the war.

Sacrificing so many of its best troops in the ultimately failed defence of Bakhmut and Avdievka in easter Ukraine has been a terrible blow.

Some go further, accusing President Zelensky of a disastrous error of judgement in not mobilising more of his country’s young men from the start. "This is a war of survival for Ukraine," said one.

"Delaying conscription is not a luxury it has."

Latest updates on Ukraine's Russian incursion published at 16:55 British Summer Time 15 August 16:55 BST 15 August

• President Zelensky says Ukrainian forces have taken full control of the Russian town of Sudzha - and set up a military administration there
• Ukraine's top commander says its troops are 35 km inside Russia's Kursk region, where they control 1,150 sq km of territory , including 82 settlements
• This comes as a source has told the BBC that British tanks have been used during Ukraine's incursion into Russian territory
• Russia defence minister says he is personally overseeing plans to "safeguard" the population on the border , including by sending more troops the region
• The UN's Human Rights Office says it has asked Moscow for access to Russian border areas affected by a cross-border attack by Ukrainian forces

You can read this morning's updates here , including the confirmation from the UK Ministry of Defence that Ukraine can use British weapons on Russian soil - except long-range Storm Shadow missiles.

Ukrainian military administration being set up in Sudzha - Zelensky published at 16:28 British Summer Time 15 August 16:28 BST 15 August

President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian troops continue advancing deeper into Russia’s Kursk region as part of a surprise incursion launched nine days ago.

In an address , external , he said "a new advancement" has been made and more Russian soldiers have been captured.

He also referred to the figure previously given by his Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky and said "more than 80" settlements in Russia's Kursk region were now under Ukrainian control.

A Ukrainian military administration was being set up in the biggest one of them, Sudzha, the Ukrainan president said.

"I thank each of our warriors who are making this possible. Well done!" President Zelensky said.

Gen Syrsky said earlier that the "commandant’s office" would provide help to any remaining local residents.

But in addition to solving logistics and humanitarian issues, setting up a Ukrainian administration in the captured Russian town sends out a message: we're here to stay, at least for now.

In pictures: Aid distributed to people in Kursk published at 16:09 British Summer Time 15 August 16:09 BST 15 August

As we receive more information on humanitarian corridors between Russia and Ukraine , people in the Kursk region in Russia have been receiving humanitarian aid from the Red Cross.

Ukraine 'working with military' on humanitarian corridor towards Sumy published at 15:51 British Summer Time 15 August 15:51 BST 15 August

We reported earlier on Ukrainian plans for a "security zone" in Kursk with humanitarian corridors both towards Russia and Ukraine.

We've since had an update from Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk via Telegram, who says Kyiv is working with the military on a possible route for civilians to leave Kursk for Sumy in Ukraine.

As for the other direction - towards Russia - she says this is a possibility, but no official request from Russia has been received so far.

Russian defence minister 'overseeing plans to safeguard border population' published at 15:10 British Summer Time 15 August 15:10 BST 15 August

Sandro Vetsko BBC Monitoring

Russian officials have drawn up a plan for "additional measures" to safeguard the population and infrastructure in areas bordering Ukraine, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov says.

The Russian Defence Ministry published a video on its Telegram channel of Belousov telling a group of senior officers and officials that the measures would involve improving the "management of troops in interaction with... the administration of the Belgorod region, nominating accountable officials and allocating additional forces and means".

Belousov said the objective was ensuring "territorial integrity and protection of the population and infrastructure" in Russia’s border regions, and that the focus of the meeting today was Belgorod.

He said he would be "personally" seeing to it that the plan is implemented. Interfax news agency said the plan would also apply to Kursk and Bryansk regions. All three border Ukraine.

UN asks Russia for access to areas affected by cross-border attack by Ukraine published at 14:46 British Summer Time 15 August 14:46 BST 15 August

The United Nations Human Rights Office says it has asked Moscow for access to Russian border areas affected by a cross-border attack by Ukrainian forces.

A spokesperson for the body told the AFP news agency that the request for "authorities to facilitate access" was sent on Wednesday and includes the "Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions".

Kyiv says it intends to create "humanitarian corridors" in Kursk for civilian evacuation both towards Russia and Ukraine.

Not clear how many UK tanks being used in offensive published at 14:15 British Summer Time 15 August 14:15 BST 15 August

British ministers and officials have repeatedly stated that it’s up to Ukraine to decide how it uses UK supplied weapons.

But questions about restrictions have heightened with Ukraine’s recent incursion inside Russia.

The Ministry of Defence says there’s been no change in policy, though it’s not giving any detail of what British supplied weapons are being used in this latest offensive.

However, a UK source confirmed to the BBC that British made Challenger tanks were among significant western armour now making up Ukraine's strike force.

It’s not clear how many, but the UK only gave Ukraine 14 of the tanks for last year’s less successful offensive in southern Ukraine, in which one was destroyed.

There is still an exception about the use of UK long range Storm Shadow missiles. Britain has still not given Ukraine permission to strike targets inside Russia, despite Ukrainian pressure.

Ukraine commander says military office set up in occupied territory in Russia published at 13:55 British Summer Time 15 August 13:55 BST 15 August

Ukraine's top commander Oleksandr Syrsky says "a military commandant's office" has been set up in Ukrainian-occupied Russian territory.

In a video posted on social media, he is seen telling a meeting chaired by President Zelensky: "To maintain law and order and meet the immediate needs of the population, a military commandant's office has been created in the territories controlled [by Ukraine]. Maj-General Moskalyov has been appointed to lead it."

Syrsky also says Ukrainian troops are 35 km inside the Kursk region, where they control 1,150 sq km of territory including 82 settlements.

“The situation is under control in general,” he told Zelensky.

What's happened so far today? published at 13:31 British Summer Time 15 August 13:31 BST 15 August

This morning we've been bringing you developments in the Ukraine war following confirmation from the Ministry of Defence that Ukraine can use British weapons on Russian soil - with the exception of long-range Storm Shadow missiles.

The government said this does not represent a change in policy.

Since then a UK source has confirmed to the BBC that Challenger 2 tanks have been used during Ukraine's Russian incursion . The UK had given Ukraine 14 such tanks in last year.

Meanwhile, the Ukraine air force said it downed 29 Russian drones overnight - adding that one person was killed and 13 injured.

According to state news agency TASS a federal-level emergency situation has been declared for the border region Belgorod.

Moscow has said it is pushing Ukrainian troops back, with Russia's defence ministry claiming it has regained control of the settlement of Krupets in the Kursk region.

Tempo of Ukraine forces 'slowing' over the last couple of days - security expert published at 13:19 British Summer Time 15 August 13:19 BST 15 August

We've just heard from former Nato analyst and defence and security expert at the University of Bath, Patrick Bury.

He says the incursion has met initial goals including increasing morale among the Ukrainian army and the nation and "destabilising the regime in the short run".

"[The operation] has shown that Western arms can be used inside Russia and there is no major escalation," he adds.

"That may start to raise questions about what are the next steps."

He continues to say that over the last few days the tempo of the Ukrainian forces has been "slowing".

That could be for two reasons he explains - the Russians are starting to stabilise the line and the second due to logistics - "at some point [the Ukrainians] need to resupply themselves".

At some point, Kyiv will have to decide how much land it wants to hold, or whether it should fall back to more defensive lines further west, he adds.

Russia claims to have recaptured lost territory in Kursk published at 13:02 British Summer Time 15 August 13:02 BST 15 August

Russia's defence ministry claims it has regained control of the settlement of Krupets in the Kursk region.

The border region of Kursk has been the focus of Ukraine's surprise attack into Russia, which began 10 days ago.

In a statement, Russia's Ministry of Defence says the "destruction of the enemy" is complete and "control over the settlement of Krupets has been restored".

This comes as Ukraine claims to be advancing further into border regions as part of its offensive.

Federal-level emergency situation declared for Belgorod published at 12:36 British Summer Time 15 August 12:36 BST 15 August

Let's turn back to the situation on the ground.

Yesterday we reported that Belgorod was the second Russian region to declare a state of emergency. The region borders with Kursk where the Ukrainian incursion began last Tuesday.

State news agency TASS has reported today that a federal-level emergency situation has been declared for the region by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

It followed the region's governor Vyacheslav Gladkov introducing a regional-level emergency situation. On Wednesday morning he said there had been 23 drone attacks in 24 hours.

We've got more on this here .

Western weapons yes – but not long-range missiles published at 12:17 British Summer Time 15 August 12:17 BST 15 August

A UK RAF Eurofighter Typhoon with Storm Shadow cruise missiles and other weapons

Ukraine’s lightning incursion into Russia has undoubtedly been boosted by the inclusion of Western weaponry.

German Marder and US Stryker armoured fighting vehicles are known to have been used, as well as German-supplied combat engineering equipment.

But the one weapon Ukraine says it really needs in this offensive - Britain’s Storm Shadow missile – it can’t.

Whitehall has given the green light for other kit to be used but not the long-range Storm Shadow inside Russia’s borders, for fear of escalation and how Moscow would respond.

"Storm Shadow is designed to penetrate bunkers or buildings before exploding," says Brig Ben Barry at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

"Targets could include Command & Control nodes, airfield installations, hardened aircraft shelters, ammo bunkers, such as those holding glide bombs, radar and air defence sites."

In other words, all the kind of long-range positions from which Russia has been prosecuting its war against Ukraine and which Kyiv is now looking to take out in order to change the dynamics of this conflict in its favour.

UK confirmed donation of Challenger 2 tanks in 2023 published at 12:05 British Summer Time 15 August 12:05 BST 15 August

It was in January 2023 that then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the UK would send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Fourteen of the attack vehicles were donated with Downing Street at the time saying the move showed "the UK's ambition to intensify support".

Sunak said then that the tanks would help Ukrainian forces "push Russian troops back".

President Zelensky thanked the UK and said that the decision to send the tanks "will not only strengthen us on the battlefield, but also send the right signal to other partners".

The UK also trained Ukrainian forces to use them.

You can read our story from the time here.

What is the Challenger 2? published at 11:51 British Summer Time 15 August 11:51 BST 15 August

Earlier we learnt, via a source, that Challenger 2 tanks are being used inside Russia - we have some further details here on what they look like and their functionality.

The attack vehicle is more than 20 years old - built in the late 1990s.